Tides of Fortune and Destiny
by Siarene
Summary: What do you do when you thought your life was over and then you were given a second chance. Well the Shitennou, the Four Heavenly Kings must now find their way thru their new life. Must find their way to redemption and love again
1. Chapter 1

.:.:.:.

Title: Tides of Fortune and Destiny

By: Siarene

Chapter One

Disclaimer: These are not my characters by any means. However the baby when she is born will be. I am just barrowing these characters for my story.

pThe heavy mist filled the room with condensation. Various shades of peach and orange attempted to peek thru its thickness in a vain attempt to avoid the hazy mist as it threatened to consume every part of the room. The bedroom consisted of nothing more than a queen-size bed with its peach colored sheets and comforter, a vanity with an oval mirror, a 6-drawer chest, two over stuffed chairs, and a modest walk in closet. Closer inspection of its warm colored interior would find its seemingly simple order disrupted by the distinct differences in the clothing littering the floor and thrown over chairs. Off to one side, was the open door that led into the bathroom, the source of the hazy mist. The bathroom's décor was also cast in the same peach and orange hues. Inside was a basin, toilet, large marble inlay bathtub and a shower stall, currently occupied with the owners of the scattered clothing.

"Please …closer," came a moan from the bathroom that was distinctively female. Despite the frosted glass of the shower recess, the shadows of a male and female could be seen in a most compromising position. The female's head set back against the shower stall as water spread upon her bosom. Her partner leaned closer to entice her with his words, his hands once again sliding down the plains of her smooth, taut stomach and down to her womanhood to caress her as she moved against his hand as she continued to moan. The woman cried out with pleasure as her lover hit the right spot. She could hear his warm chuckle vibrating within his chest.

"Right there, is that what you want?" The woman shuddered as her lover slid a finger into her moist depths, sending waves of building pressure thru her. Her lover knew she was getting close to the point of exploding her passion as he caressed her inside and bent forward to suckle her ample breasts. The woman groaned as she indicated she wanted her lover to stop playing with her. He chuckled once again, no longer needing to hear her pleas. He knew her intimately as he had never known any other love in his short life of twenty-eight years.

"Please, stop teasing me."

No sooner were the words out of the young woman's mouth than she felt herself being deliciously invaded by her lover. Together, they moved as one until she could no longer take anymore. Her body unleashed its rapturous waves of passion as she clamped onto her lover as he exploded within her.

"Kun….."/p

"What the hell?" Minako woke up with a start, her body assaulted by surges of passion as if she had just experienced the woman's pleasure as if it had been her own. "It's that dream again. Why do I keep dreaming about this woman and man in the middle of making love? It's never the same scene. It's always something different."

7am, Minako thought as she looked at the clock. Ever since the final battle with Galaxia, she started having dreaming about this couple in the throws of lovemaking. Just as she was on the brink of knowing who the man was, she would always wake up. Something about these dreams seemed familiar somehow, as if they were fragments of another lifetime. A time when peace reigned supreme and people were able to have their passions sated.

Minako started remembering bits and pieces of her past, and as the days passed by, so too the other scouts regained their memories. However, as far as she was concerned, her memories were coming much too slowly for her liking, that was, until she started having these recurring dreams about this couple. The dreams started when she saw what she thought to be an apparition of the commanding general, Kunzite. Once again, she wondered who about the identities of this couple and why she was dreaming about them. Did it have something to do with her past, and did he have something to do with it as well?

No, of course not, blondie, he was evil. You had nothing to do with the likes of him –her feelings on the matter were neither here or there. Minako looked at the clock once again and groaned. It was time to get up and get ready to go see the girls.

"Come on Minako, time to get up." Artemis stretched out from his spot on Minako's pillow.

"I'm already awake, Artemis. I have been awake for the past ten minutes. That dream woke me up again."

"What dream, Minako? You keep saying you are having these dreams and by the flush on your face, they are not normal dreams. Yet, you won't tell me, your guardian, what they are exactly." Artemis got up and padded over to the window to look out for the telltale signs of a storm that was brewing and hadn't notice the figure sitting across the street looking into Minako's window.

"Is it going to storm again, Artemis?" Minako asked as she pulled on her robe, and moved towards the window, and joined Artemis. It had been rather stormy for almost a week now.

"Looks like it will. I wonder where all this unseasonable rain is coming from. I feel something evil at work."

Minako looked at Artemis and laughed. "Rain evil? Really, Artemis, you are growing more paranoid by the day. There is no more evil nemesis to deal with. Galaxia has been defeated and Chaos is too minute a threat to be any trouble for us. What other evil could there possibly be?"

"There is always evil in the universe, Minako. The balance depends on both good and evil. I just have a feeling something is lurking out there and we have yet to detect it." Artemis looked at Minako as she walked into her bathroom to shower and dress for school.

"Well, I for one am going to relax and enjoy the rain. We had that dry spell that almost killed off all the plant life. I am not really concerned if evil is lurking out there or not at this point, I simply want to get my last year of school over and done with so I can start my new life." Minako poked her head out of the bathroom door.

"Well, you should worry if there is evil out there or not. You still are Sailor Venus after all." Artemis pouted as he opened Minako's bedroom door to go find some breakfast.

Meanwhile, outside, the lone figure watching Minako's apartment looked up one last time before turning to leave and return to the house he shared with his three roommates. He wished he could have seen more of her than that fleeting glimpse of her as she looked out at the sky. The man wondered how Minako was doing. It seemed like ages since he had seen her. Each night he would wander around town and always end up at the same spot, looking up at her window. Oh how he wished he could just appear to her and talk to her. He had materialized before her once before, but she thought him nothing more than a ghost -- an evil that had died years earlier. No, he was not dead, not at all. In fact, he was very much alive -- living in a state of endless misery. His companions seemed to be content living their own lives, but not him. No, he was destine to be alone and live with the memories of what had once been and would never be again.

The stranger continued to walk down the road, his feet taking him not where his mind instructed him to go, but in the opposite end of town, to a high-rise building. The stranger looked up, stopped for a moment in contemplation. He approached the doorman who looked very bored as he watched the tall figure coming towards him and smiled in recognition.

"Welcome sir, she is in at the moment." The security guard then opened the door for him as he nodded his thanks and walked quickly towards the elevators. He knew exactly where he was going.

The door closed and encased him within the confining walls of the elevator as he thought about what he was doing. Did he really want to talk with this woman again? Yes, of course he did. She knew him and was the only one he could confide in. His companions were much too busy to bother listening to his problems. This woman was very powerful and had been the one who had given them back their lives, under a deal she arranged with them. 'Yeah… and what a life she had given me, one where the only one I love hates what I have become and ran after I appeared in front of her.' He thought as he heard the sound of the elevator chime as it stopped and its doors opened.

The hallways decorated in a dark blue carpet, not at all like the beige floor coverings one normally encountered in apartment hallways. There was a cream border either side running its length snaking its way throughout the entire floor. Above, the ceilings adorned with crown moldings fashioned from oak where the walls met the ceiling and faithfully followed the carpeted surface below.

The stranger then walked down the long corridor, not broken by any doors except the one at the very end. This was the penthouse suite after all. He continued down the endless hallway until at last he reached the single solid oak door with its elaborately carved gold handle. He was about to knock on the door's polished surface but hesitated, his hand suspended mid-air, trying to decide should he knock or just leave. As he was about to turn on his heel and leave, the door opened and a little girl popped her head out and giggled.

"Hotaru, what are you doing at the door?" A woman's voice demanded from somewhere in the background behind the door as she opened it enough to see what the little girl was looking at. A young woman with green-black hair with eyes that seemed ageless regarded the visitor and smiled, opening the door wider and beckoning him to come in.

"Come in, Kunzite…" Setsuna smiled warmly as Kunzite crossed the threshold into her home. Setsuna's accommodations were warm and inviting. The interior decorated in a series of greens and garnets. Setsuna guided Kunzite to the dining room table where Tokyo's skyline lay resplendent through the large panoramic windows that lined the wall on the left side of the dining table. Upon the place set for Hotaru was her half eaten breakfast.

"Come Hotaru, finish your breakfast and get ready for school."

The little girl bowed respectfully then climbed back into her chair to finish the last few bites of her waffles then skittered off down short hallway into her bedroom. She reappeared a short time later in her little sailor suit school uniform. Kunzite hadn't moved as he watched the little girl get ready for her day.

After she had hugged Setsuna, the older woman ruffled her hair, and Hotaru left for school, Setsuna finally spoke to Kunzite. "I would offer you wine, but I do believe at 8 am in the morning, wine would be a bit too much, so how about some tea then?" He nodded, and smiling, she turned on her heel and they moved into the kitchen. As the tea brewed, she quickly cleaned up after Hotaru. With that task completed, she brought the teapot over to the table, poured them both a cup, sat down across from Kunzite, and waited for him to speak.

.::.Chiba Residence.::.

"Mamoru hurry up we are going to be late meeting the girls," Usagi yelled after her husband of six months, who was rarely late for anything.

After the battle with Galaxia, Usagi had freed her friends and chosen to continue her life as it was before. She had woken up next to Mamoru and then almost immediately they decided to get married. Within 4 months, they wed in a small ceremony with all the sailor scouts acting as bridesmaids.

"I am coming, Usagi. If you had not turned off my alarm, we would be on time." Mamoru called out from the bedroom.

"But that thing makes a horrible sound. Maybe I should get you a new one today when I go shopping with the girls." Usagi wailed in protest as she watched her man walk out wearing his horrible green jacket. No matter wherever she hid that thing, he always managed to find it.

"Come on, let's go. I don't want to keep your friends waiting, seeing as I won't allow you to drive my car." Mamoru waved her towards the door and opened it for his beautiful bride. She smiled and strode out the door into the hallway. He then closed the door behind him and locked it.

"You're just a paranoid big baby. You think I will wreck your precious little car. I am a very good driver I'll have you know, according to mom." Usagi pushed the down button on the elevator a little harder than she had intended, getting annoyed with him over the car issue. She had just gotten her license and could see no reason why she couldn't drive his red sports car.

"You're right, I am. I saw what you did to your dad's car a couple months ago."

As the elevator arrived and the doors slid open, they stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close in silence. Usagi stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at him. Mamoru simply gave her a pointed look telling her he was not impressed -- The sound of the elevator doors opening broke the silence as Usagi giggled for some unknown reason.

"What?" Mamoru asked, a little perturbed.

Usagi just giggled some more as she passed Eugene, the doorman on the way out of the apartment building and they made their way towards the red sports car parked out front.

Usagi put on her seatbelt as Mamoru started the engine. It roared to life and the sleek sports car pulled out from the curb. They were soon heading for the mall in the center of Tokyo. Mamoru was just dropping Usagi off to meet her friends for the day since they were in the middle of their short summer break.

"I am a little worried about the girls, especially Minako. She seems troubled by something. She always seems flushed for some reason. She says it is nothing, but she has been acting strange for three weeks now. Artemis said she saw someone in the park that had her pretty freaked out, or so says Luna."

Mamoru kept his eyes on the road, trying to think of something to say. He himself had been having strange dreams concerning the past and his four Shitennou. He had seen all four of them as ghosts standing above their gemstones that had somehow disappeared from his nightstand drawer. He missed those stones as they had been his advisors. He even thought they might be locked inside each gemstone. They were standing at the Gate of Time with Sailor Pluto, Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. What did seeing the Shitennou with my future self mean, and what could the possible outcome have been? Why did the stones disappear after that dream as well? Mamoru thought, as he got ready to answer Usagi.

"She will tell you when she is ready, Usagi. Whatever happened three weeks ago is probably none of your business. And yes I know you are her friend, but that does not mean you have to know everything." Mamoru saw the look of displeasure on his wife's face.

"How can I help her if she won't tell me what is wrong. She says she is only having dreams like the rest of us. But I don't by that. There is something else to these dreams, more than she is letting on." Usagi was not happy about being kept out of the loop. There was something going on and she would find out what was troubling her friend.

"Just let it go for now. She will tell you eventually." Mamoru stopped the car as the lights turned red. He waited for them to turn green as Usagi chattered on. Finally, Mamoru drove for a few minutes more before taking a left into the mall's parking lot. I should really think about getting her own car, something small and safe to protect our little miracle. Yes, Usagi was three months pregnant with their first child. They did not understand why she was pregnant, because it could not possibly be Chibi Usa. They had gone to see Setsuna to get some insight into why Usagi was pregnant, but Setsuna kept her council and was very tight lipped about the whole thing only saying she could not give away the future.

.::.Setsuna's Home.::.

"I know I should not even be around her. But I keep dreaming of our past. Those dreams keep me up at night. That's why I go on long walks to clear my head. But I always end up at her apartment below her bedroom window watching all that goes on inside. I even materialized in front of her one night in a vain attempt to put her memories aside. She thought I was a ghost and ran away."

Kunzite was not the kind of man to get frustrated all that easily. Ever sense Neo-Queen Serenity had brought him and the others back, he had been on the edge of frustration when he should really be hoping for some kind of redemption he felt he would never garner.

Setsuna just sat there sipping her tea and thought of a response, "It is quite natural to feel how you do. To seek redemption after one's wrong doing…"

Kunzite interrupted Setsuna mid-sentence.

"But I gave up the right to be with her and my redemption the day I sold my soul to Beryl." Kunzite said, and was most adamant about that.

"You have to understand, Her Majesty brought you back in order for you to gain redemption and give your life back to you. She understands that you were seduced by Beryl. Your own prince even forgave you for the betrayal you all committed against him as his Shitennou. Forget about Minako for the moment. You have other concerns right now. You will have to show yourself to your prince soon. Don't worry he will not know you." Setsuna watched as his eyes unfocused then refocused.

"Minako recognized me, so what makes you so certain my prince wont?"

Setsuna nodded sympathetically, understanding exactly where his thoughts were going and moved quickly to reassure him. "He misses the stones and he also misses you and the others for the advice and company you gave him. So when he sees you, he will remember you as his old guard, not as the dark kings."

"Advice he never listened too." Kunzite countered. Setsuna simply smiled as she studied Takehiko. He was always the quite and serious one of the Shitennou, the Four Heavenly Kings.

"Well you were brought back to earn your redemption as well, to be there to guide the prince thru the upcoming trials in preparation for the formation of Crystal Tokyo. He also needs to be prepared for what lies ahead in the immediate future in respect to the "great sleep" and the darkness that shall engulf the earth as it spreads before the dawning of the new era."

Kunzite listened attentively for a while longer until she had finished before excusing himself. He then stood up ,indicating he had to leave. Setsuna soon joined him, walked him to the door, and saw him out.

I hope you made the right decision, Your Majesty, when you brought them back to life to seek their redemption, because right now, I doubt it was a good idea considering the way Takehiko is moping about judging himself so harshly. Everyone deserves a second chance, but how can I get him to see that? Nothing I have said so far has done any good. Setsuna thought as she went to her office to work on a sketch of a new dress she was working on for her boutique.

.::.Tokyo Center Mall.::.

"Where is she? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago," Rei huffed as she looked at her watch again.

They were supposed to be looking at baby stuff today. Usagi wanted to look and see what kind of furniture she would like to buy for the baby. The girls just looked at her and smiled.

"Come on Rei, give her a break. When has Usagi ever been on time for anything?" Makoto pointed out as the girls laughed.

"Well her wedding," Minako offered as Rei started to look steamed. Even after all these years, Rei still gave Usagi a hard time about everything. She still called her meatball head, even though she was pregnant and more prone to hysterics than usual.

"Don't be so mad, Rei. Hey look, here she comes," Ami pointed out as Usagi and Mamoru walked along the sidewalk lined with stores and their colorful windows residing on the first floor of the shopping mall.

Usagi came bouncing up to them as if she had eaten to much sugar. "You did not give her hot chocolate again for breakfast, did you, Mamoru. And you're late, meatball head. What took you so long?" Rei waggled her finger at Usagi's happy face.

Instead of crying as she usually did, Usagi simply smiled. "No, I shut off his horrible sounding alarm, so he woke up late. Then he took forever getting ready. I have to get him a new alarm clock, one that sounds much better than that horrible buzzing sound his current one makes. So where too first?" Usagi asked as she looked at her friends eagerly. She heard someone cough behind her. She turned around to find Mamoru standing there with an expectant look on his face. Then it suddenly dawned on her.

"Sorry, Mamoru." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. He kissed her back then stepped back and smiled. He waved goodbye to the girls and turned to leave. He had some studying to do at the university's library.

"Did you eat breakfast, Usagi?" Minako was hungry, as, she had rushed out of the house without eating even one of the delicious small muffins in the cake container on the table.

"Breakfast sounds good, Minako. I sure did not eat anything this morning after my workout. So where should we eat. I heard there was this new place opening up called Katana's," Makoto put her two senses in.

"What kind of name is Katana's for a restaurant? That is a weapon," Ami said in a matter of fact manner as they entered the mall and started to look for said restaurant.

They walked by a selection of stores that sold: clothing, accessories, books-- that were still Ami's favorite -- cookware and video games. They passed no baby stores on their search for Katana's. None of the baby stores was on the third floor of the five floors of the mall.

"Mako-chan…, hey, where is this place? We have passed 5 restaurants now and I am getting very hungry." Usagi complained as they passed a sixth restaurant.

"Maybe you should have eaten while Mamoru was getting ready, meatball head. That would have saved us all your whining."

Usagi was about to retort when Makoto announced they had arrived at their destination. Katana's was a quaint little place decked out in navy and creams. Makoto could see where it got its name. There were several sets of Katana's on display upon the walls as decoration. There were other sorts of knives and swords gracing the walls of this fascinating restaurant. The girls found a table big enough for all of them and seated themselves. And each picked up their menus and began to look through them.

"What are you guys going to get? I think I will just settle for Hot Chocolate and a fruit salad…."

The girls looked at Usagi and instantly said, " no" to the hot chocolate. The last thing they needed was a hyper-pregnant woman on their hands. Plus, chocolate had caffeine in it and that was not good for the baby. Well, small doses were ok, but not in the amount, Usagi liked.

"Try some milk, or juice, Usagi. That is much better for you than chocolate."

Ami started to argue with Usagi as the waitress came up to take their orders. All argument stopped when the waitress introduced herself and asked them what they wanted. Makoto went first, ordering French toast, milk, Minako ordered Belgian waffles, apple juice, Rei ordered a blueberry muffin, and grape juice, Ami ordered scrambled eggs, sausage, and water, and Usagi reluctantly ordered a fruit salad and orange juice.

"All right ladies, I will go put that in for you and be right back with your drinks." The waitress left to place the orders into her computer and get their drinks.

"That was a smart choice, Usagi." The doctor to be in Ami said, commending Usagi as she looked around the restaurant. There looked to be about twenty tables inside the modest restaurant, the color of the walls almost identical with those of Setsuna's home, set out in various shades of green and garnet.

"Did it strike you guys as a little funny that the decor looks just like Setsuna's apartment?" The others shrugged, indicating it hadn't occurred to them.

"So, where do we start looking first?" Minako, always up for shopping just like Usagi, asked first.

Usagi looked off into the depths of the restaurant as if she was willing the waitress to bring them their food faster. "I guess the baby furniture stores…. Mamoru gave me enough money to get all the furniture and a few miscellaneous items. You know: things like a few clothes, bottles, stuff for a crib, changing table, rocking chair, stuff like that." Usagi said excited. She loved shopping and shopping for the baby would be so much fun.

"So, he basically handed over his credit card to you to shop for the baby." Rei was skeptical. Usagi just smiled.

The girls chattered for a few more minutes until their food arrived and all chatter stopped as each girl concentrated on her food. Eating at a leisurely pace, it only took the girls thirty minutes to eat. As they waited for the check, they fished out their money to pay for their meals. When the check finally arrived, the girls paid up and left the nice little restaurant.

"So which store first?" Ami asked as they headed for the elevator that would take them to the third floor where all the baby stores were located.

"How should I know, Ami? But I did hear of a store called Purple Turtle. What kind of name that is I don't know, but it said during the ad that it was one of the best places to get baby things." Usagi answered as they stepped into the elevator and Makoto pushed the third floor button.

"That is a pretty pricy store, Usagi. I saw an ad in the paper with some prices listed. I am not sure you want to go there, but we can look anyway," Makoto commented as the elevator rose.

"Well there is no harm in looking, Mako-chan, but I have to agree, if it is pricy, I would not want to shop there," Minako added as the elevator stopped and opened silently onto a busy promenade and they got out. They walked a fair distance to the left of the elevator and found the Purple Turtle. They went inside and headed for the cribs. Usagi zeroed in on a natural wood crib.

"Look at that. I have never seen a genuine timber one before. Those I have seen always had a stain finish on them, veneer." Usagi examined it some more when Makoto tried to get her attention.

"Um Usagi, come look at this!" Makoto held up the tag tied to the side of the crib. She waited for Usagi to look at it. She did and made a sound half a squeak and half a whistle.

"3000 for a crib that is outrageous. Mamoru would kill me if I ever spent that much on anything. Ok, Makoto, you were right. Let's leave and go find a different store." The girls turned and left the Purple Turtle. Once out of the store, They turned left and walked down a few more stores before entering a store called Sophia's Baby Land. Once again, they went looking for the cribs and found them at the back of the store.

"Hey guys, come and see this one, it's a wooden one with a reddish stain finish," Usagi pointed to the crib she was standing in front of as the girls crowded around to look. Usagi had leaned over to look at the price tag when a sales clerk came over to see if the girls needed any help.

"Who is the expecting mother?" The sales clerk asked as she looked at the girls, trying to assess, which one of them was pregnant.

"I am ma'am." Usagi answered as she studied the crib some more. She really liked it and reasonably priced too, at 250. It looked like it would fit in well with the color scheme of the room they had set up for the baby. They were having a girl, so the red would definitely work. The crib itself had a child safety lock where you could lower the side for better access to the child. She looked up at the saleswoman, saw the look on her face, as the woman asked Usagi how old she was. Usagi just smiled and turned away to examine the crib once more. But the woman could not get off the topic of Usagi's age. Rei saw the look the woman gave Usagi and decided to step in.

"Do you have something to say to my friend?" the fire within Rei's voice would have melted the sales person if she were solid ice. Before the woman could answer, Usagi put a calming hand on Rei's arm.

"Let it go, Rei. She did nothing wrong, but present an unprofessional face and comment to a customer who is likely to spend a lot of money in her store."

Walking by and hearing this comment from Usagi, the shift manager approached the group. "What is going on here, Susan?"

Before the salesperson named Susan could answer, Rei cut in hotly. "She asked who was pregnant and my friend Usagi answered and this woman gave her a disapproving look and comment that was rude and inappropriate for her to say to a paying customer," Rei ranted as the girls tried to get her to calm down.

The manager looked between Usagi and her sales person. Usagi finally spoke up, "Please forgive my friend. She gets a little over zealous where her friends are concerned. I understand that people look at me and think I am too young to be married and pregnant. That is ok with me. I would just advise that you tell your employees to show some discretion when dealing with a customer. Now come on girls lets start our shopping." Usagi said in a softer-spoken manner than she usually did.

"Ma'am when you finish shopping, have Susan come find me and we will work something out for you." The manager put her hand on Susan's shoulder and politely steered her away from Usagi and the girls to have a private discussion.

"Rei, next time you plan on embarrassing me like that, please give me full notice ahead, so I can leave. Now what do you girls think about this crib? I think it would look grate in the study, which we emptied out to make room for the baby."

"I think it is pretty, Usagi and it is a great price, unlike that other one. What theme are you going to choose for the nursery?" Minako asked as she ran her eyes over the part of the store she could see: there were bunnies, Winnie the Pooh, Care Bears, Disney themed things.

"She's going to pick bunnies, I know that for sure," Makoto declared, all the while Usagi was blushing. Yup, they knew her that well. The girls just laughed at Usagi.

"Shut up you guys. So what if she guessed right. It's not that funny. So shut up and let's get to looking." Usagi peered into her purse and pulled out the list Mamoru had made for her. Let's see .I need a crib, changing table, chest of drawers, hamper, stroller, bassinet, bedding for crib and bassinet, and baby book. Plus whatever else I see that I want. Usagi called for the girls and showed them the list. They each took an item and went off to go find it. Minako chose to stay with Usagi. Usagi looked at her friend and became a little worried about her friend. "You look tired, Minako. Did you get any sleep last night?"

Minako shrugged and pointed to a changing table in the same reddish color as the crib. "How cute, you know, one of these days you are going to need to talk about what is bugging you." Usagi ran her hands over the wooden surface of the table and made a mental note to tell Susan what she wanted to buy.

"When I figure out what is going on, I will let you know, Usagi. Look, I think Rei found you a chest of drawers." Minako picked up her pace as she walked over to Rei, who was standing by a chest that matched the other two pieces. Usagi ambled on over, noting that Susan was quietly hovering in the background. "Oh good, it has five drawers. I have a feeling we are going to need them. Oh look, Makoto found the bassinet." Usagi rushed over to look at what Makoto had found and then her eyes widened with delight as she checked out what Ami had found. It was a collapsible hamper with pink and white bunnies all over it. All that was left to go was the bedding, stroller and baby book.

"So what is left on the list, Usagi?" Ami asked as Usagi smiled and headed off towards the bedding department.

Usagi looked for about a half hour thru all the bedding choices they had and finally found a set that had the bumper crib sheet, and a comforter with bunny motifs. The girl's ooed and ahhed over the bedding as they moved towards the stroller section. They found a stroller that would work with a car seat. So asking Makoto to help, Usagi picked out the stroller and matching car seat that of course was decorated with white bunnies.

"I'm only three months and I am already getting tired and we have not even been shopping 2 hours." Usagi complained as she picked out a baby book with bunnies on it. She flipped thru it and saw all the pages she would have to fill out.

"Oh that is pretty, Usagi. You should go ahead and get it. If you're tired, let's just go and pay for these things and have Makoto take it to her car so we don't have to tote it around and then go find some place to eat lunch."

"Ok, sounds good to me. Let's go find Susan and get to see whatever the manager wanted." Usagi looked up, headed towards the front register, and found Susan patiently waiting for them. Makoto brought up the stroller and Rei carried the car seat.

"Yes ma'am… I will go get Mrs. Morgan for you." Susan turned and hurried off to the left where a door to a nearby office was located. She returned a few minutes later with the manager, who asked if they found everything all right.

"Yes ma'am, we did. I do, however have a few pieces that will need to be delivered." Usagi listed which pieces were to be delivered. The manager wrote them down on a delivery form. She then scanned the stroller, baby book and car seat.

"Well Mrs.….."

"Chiba Usagi," Usagi answered.

"Well, Mrs. Chiba we thank you for shopping here at Sophia's Baby Land. I am going to give you thirty percent off everything you've purchased today as well as free delivery. If you will just fill out the top part of this form and we will get these to you tomorrow." Usagi did her part and filled out her address and phone number. She handed the form back to the manager and waited to hear the total price for the furniture.

"Well Mrs. Chiba your total comes to 1693.51." Usagi fished out the card Mamoru had given her and gave it to the manager. She slid the card thru and handed it back to Usagi. Usagi waited for the receipt to come out and when it did, she signed it. Handing the receipt back to the manager, she smiled and walked out of the store. 


	2. Chapter 2

Well here is chapter two. It was not as long as the one before it because I got impatient with it. I hope this answers some of the questions about what the guys have been doing. Don't know why I did another shower scene but I just start typing and whatever comes into my little head gets typed. Chapter 3 is getting beta'ed right now so that will be out in a few days.

Title: Tides of Fortune and Destiny

By: Siarene

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: These are not my characters by any means. However the baby when she is born will be. I am just barrowing these characters for my story.

"How did the stalking go last night?" A familiar voice asked, coming from the living room as Kunzite entered the four-bedroom house he shared with the other Shitennou.

Kunzite shut the door behind him, and out of habit locked it. There was no way anyone would ever really break into the house. He knew that. But this ritual only recently became part of his daily routine.

As he moved along the hallway with its stunning layout of blacks and gold's of the Golden Kingdom, Kunzite followed the sound of the voice and stepped into the living room where low and behold, Jadeite lay sprawled out lazily upon the room's only love seat. Opposite the sprawled figure of Jadeite, a big screen TV -- something Nephrite and Jadeite insisted they must have-- was turned down low, this piece of equipment surrounded by a couch, three armchairs and the love seat where Jadeite reclined. The wall at the back of the room contained three large cedar bookcases filled with books on astronomy, business management, and economics and sadly -- according to his companions -- Jadeite's comic books. To keep the peace, everything in the house was shared equally between them, so Jadeites comics were stored with the books. On the left side of the wall was an extensive home theater system with five surround sound speakers.

"You going to answer me, or be a stone and admire the décor." An insolent comment emerged from the love seat.

Kunzite narrowed his eyes, deciding that hitting Jadeite again would not be worth the effort. He had to jump in the shower and get ready for work. With their new lease on life, the Neo Queen gave them the means of taking care of themselves. The guys were reborn on the earth to new families. Families they'd had little time for except for Jadeite and Zoicite.

Kunzite worked as VP for his father's architecture company, though not a job he ever really wanted, but it was something he had to do on his road to redemption. Nephrite worked his way through college, employed at the observatory as an assistant. His father ran and owned the leading agricultural company in Japan. He could have worked for his father, but Nephrite's passion lay amongst the stars. Jadeite and Zoisite attended school, Jadeite hoping to become a game artist for his uncle while Zoicite had his eye on becoming a business executive within his fathers own gaming company.

Jadeite and Zoicite were cousins. Now and then, both asked why it was necessary for Neo-Queen Serenity to insist on this cosmic balance and have these two as members of the same family. It was beyond Kunzite.

Before Kunzite was about to turn to leave, Jadeite went off about Minako, suggesting he should simply go over there and tell her the secrets of the stones. That did it. If Jadeite had wanted a reaction, he definitely got one on this occasion. Kunzite strode angrily across the floor, wrenched Jadeite out of his chair, and in one swift movement struck the other man, giving him a bloody lip. Kunzite was getting ready to take another swing at Jadeite when Nephrite and Zoisite stepped in and pulled him back.

They had been expecting something like this for some time now. Jadeite, always harping on about Mina and getting on Kunzite's case, not a subject one broached lightly, not unless you wanted to get your ass beat.

"Okay, get off him; you know he's just being an ass because he is-- Jad. Why don't you go cool off and get ready for work. Vent some of your frustrations out on your father's minions."

Nephrite pulled Kunzite off Jadeite who had a bloody and swollen lip and the beginnings of a black eye. Kunzite narrowed his eyes, glared at the sprawled figure in the chair, and stalked off to his room. Once he was gone, Nephrite took a swing at Jadeite and hit him flush in the eye.

"What the hell was that for?" Jadeite howled indignantly. Zoicite just laughed at his cousin as He rubbed at his face. He was not going to look pretty for a couple of days.

"You know what that was for. What have I told you about messing with him like that? Princess Minako is a sensitive subject and you know that. What would you do if he said something like that about Princess Rei?" Jadeite just shot Nephrite a dirty look and continued to wipe at his face. He could feel the bruises forming.

"That's what I thought. Now get off your ass and get your face cleaned up. You have class in an hour. Enough laughing Zoisite you have class too. I need to go get ready for work." Nephrite turned and walked away. He passed by Kunz' room and peaked in. The bedroom was in its usual state of orderliness. The man was almost compulsive in keeping things nice and tidy. He heard the shower running and satisfied, Nephrite turned and left the room and crossed the hall into his own. Nephrites room was an assortment of pinks and greens, decorated in the same colors as his love's fuku. The others ribbed him over his choice of décor, mainly Jadeite, calling him a whipped sissy, but each to their own.

Pulling a clean shirt and pants out of the wardrobe, Nephrite set these on the bed. He then went into his private bathroom, turned on the shower, adjusting it to the right temp, stripped and stepped under the Arcing curtain of water. Its spray soothed his body and he remembered the time he had last seen Makoto. It was the last time they had been together before he had been seduced by that bitch, Beryl.

.::. Nephrites Memories .::.

"What are you doing in my bedroom, sir?" Makoto put her hands on her hips despite being clad only in a towel. She had been getting ready to get into the shower, for she would never know when she would next get the chance again. Evil was marching on the moon kingdom and there was scarcely time enough for anything, but here was her lover dressed in full battle gear. She knew it was forbidden, but to hell with that.

"Why milady, you should know why I am here. After all, you are dressed for the occasion. Maybe I should take a little more off to match."

Makoto stepped forward and started to tug at his armor. She lent in and whispered into his ear, "Yes, maybe you should, Nephrite."

She continued to tug at his clothes as he stripped, first the armor, then his sword belt, then his uniform, and finally his undergarments. Makoto admired him from below her lowered eyelashes. Nephrite just smiled and reached out and tugged at her towel. It came off in one clean snap. Nephrite, as always, caught his breath in a hitch. She was gorgeous, her Plump, perky, dusky-pink breasts and a slim trim waist were all so tantalizing. Everything a princess should be.

"We really should not be doing this. Earth and Moon people are not supposed to mix." Makoto started to breathe heavily as Nephrite's eyes bored into her sweet innocent face. Well, not so innocent anymore, but that was neither here or there. He continued looking at her, and in one smooth movement, picked her up, and went into the bathroom where a hot shower was running.

"It's a little too late to turn back now, lovely. So let's just enjoy this while we can." Nephrite carried Makoto into the waiting shower so the water would hit her back first, causing her to arch her back in a forward movement to rub her pert little breasts against his naked chest. She continued to press her breasts against her lover as he slowly allowed her to slide down the tiled wall of the shower stall until her back was braced securely against its surface and his neck and upper body were under the spray of the shower. Makoto giggled and leaned forward to capture her lover's lips in a heated and most passionate kiss. She kissed her lover with everything she had as the last three weeks of pent up passion found glorious release. Nephrite kissed his little athletic lover back with as much fire as she was giving him in that moment.

Breaking away, Nephrite moved his mouth to the base of her throat where he kissed and nipped at the sweet supple skin of her throat as his way of teasing her. He heard her cry a little and knew now was not the time for teasing. There was a war on the brink and everyone was ready for it. No, she just wanted him and only him. No foreplay or teasing this time, for this might be the last chance they would experience this life together. So, moving away from her neck, Nephrite looked into his lover's eyes and used his hands to open her thighs and with his fingers part her petals of love for him as she wrapped long luscious legs about his waist. Makoto leaned forward and grabbed his lips again as he plunged deep into her moisten depths.

"Hey Nephrite, other people want hot water too, you baka. What you doing in there…, masturbating." Jadeite yelled thru the closed door of his bathroom.

Turning off the water and stepping out of the shower, Nephrite grabbed one of his towels and yelled back at Jadeite, "It's none of your damn business what I was doing, Jadeite. So, unless you want a broken nose, I suggest you get out of my room."

He heard the door to his bedroom close before opening the door. He started to dry himself off when he noticed he had a slight problem. His memories had turned him on as if they had happened all over again. Damn asshole, Nephrite thought as he went back into the bathroom to take care of his problem.

.::. Tokyo Center Mall .::.

"Well, there you go girl, everything is packed in my car. Now, how about we go feed you two," Makoto suggested as she came up to Usagi and the girls after putting the stroller and car seat into her new Toyota four Runner.

"How about Sbarro's, I am craving Italian. What about you guys?" Usagi started to head towards the elevator to go to the fourth floor where the food court was situated.

"Usagi, that is fast food, and its not good for you." Ami tried to reason with Usagi as they followed her to the elevator.

"And, I am hungry…, pasta is good for you so long as you are not a diabetic, so less argument and more moving ladies." Usagi pushed the 'up' button on the elevator and waited for the doors to open. Once they did, Usagi moved in and waited for the girls to join her. Usagi pushed the number 'four' button and the doors closed in front of them. They felt the movement as the car went up.

A few seconds later, they heard the sound of the lift chime as the doors opened onto the food court. Usagi, on a mission, moved forward in a straight line and then veered to the left and found what she wanted. She walked up to the counter and waited to be served. The attendant finally noticed her after serving an elderly couple.

"Yes, I will have the Baked Ziti." Usagi replied after the guy asked for her order. He got her food and asked the others what they wanted and served them as well. Usagi approached the cashier . "Can I also have a bottle of Berry Punch and a bottle of water, please."

Usagi fished out 10 dollars and paid the cashier and got her change then looked about for a table big enough for herself and her friends. After searching for a minute or so, she found one near the bathroom big enough for all of them. They reached the table, chatting happily amongst themselves and sat down.

"So, what is next on the list, Usagi?" Rei asked, taking a bite of her broccoli stuffed pizza.

"Well, I still need a rocking chair for the nursery. Mamoru said I could also get some clothes and stuff. So we can go find the other little things like blankets, bottles and little things like that. We can go find a regular furniture store and see if we can find a gliding rocker. I really want a glider cause' they are so relaxing to sit in."

"I have a glider and they are so comfortable." Makoto piped in between bites of her vegetable salad.

"Okay, so after we get done eating, let's head down to the third floor again and see what we can find." The girls nodded their approval and dug into their food.

.::. Kitkino Architecture Main Offices .::.

"You're late yet again; really, Kunzite… I would hate to find myself having to suspend you for tardiness. But because you happen to be my son, that does not mean you are above everyone else who works here. Everyone arrives here at eight-thirty, right on the dot. Not at twelve-thirty, do you understand?" Takeino Kitkino yelled at his son as he walked away from him. Takeino was not a man to be ignored and it did not look good for the CEO's own son to ignore him in front of his underlings.

Seeing his son wasn't turning around, Takeino stormed off towards his son's office. Just as Kunzite shut the door to his office, his father slammed it open. "Son or not…, boy, you ever walk away from me again and I will disown you," Takeino said heatedly.

"You have been saying that every morning for 3 weeks now. Really, old man, do what you say you are gonna do, or get out of my face and let me do my job," Kunzite challenged. He was 28 he could and would take care of himself.

"What is with the attitude, boy. You have been in a permanent bad mood for three weeks now. Something happen' between you and those rejects you live with, or is it something else."

Kunzite looked at his "father" with a bored expression on his face. "Are you through…, and those rejects I live with are old friends." Kunzite removed his suit jacket and sat down at his desk totally dismissing his father and booting up his computer to check on the day's emails.

"Next time you come in late, we will see how you like missing a few pay checks." Takeino departed with those words, his anger clear for all to see.

My prince, I hope you will one day understand what we are going through for you and for us all. Kunzite thought to himself as he opened the first email of the day.

.::. Tokyo University .::.

"Whoa man, did you get drunk and into a fight with a bouncer, again?" Jack asked Jadeite as they walked up to each other. Thanks to Kunzite and Nephrite, for the next week Jadeite wouldn't be such a 'pretty-boy.' His face was swollen from the punches he had received from his fellow kings. Both eyes were a nasty black-blue and sort of a purplish color and his right upper lip was red and swollen. Dried blood was visible from where Kunzite struck him.

"No Jack, he got his face beaten in when he intentionally provoked Kunzite. So, his face had it coming. Kunzite is not someone to mess with. Nephrite gave him a parting blow when he took a shot at him." Jadeite glowered and this made Zoicite laugh harder than he already was.

"Shut up man. Kunzite is just plain nuts and I am going to pay Nephrite back for the eye. I just have to find his secret stash of photos he keeps of his princess. I swear both of them should be arrested for being assholes and stalkers."

"Whoa…, wait a minute there, Jad, I would revise that line of thinking. Nephrite would kill you then hack you up to make kabobs for supper. He is as 'crazy as' when it comes to Makoto the way Kunzite is with Minako. So I would think twice. Just because you got a busted face don't mean you need to risk your life for such petty revenge."

Zoicite and Jadeite continued to argue until Jack intervened, "What are you guys talking about. What is this about pictures and stalking?" Jack was getting confused by his friends more and more by the minute.

"Oh it's nothing. Those two have girls they like, but are too chicken shit to go up and talk to them. So they study from afar and Neph just likes taking pictures of his lady. It's really nothing Jad here is just pissed off about getting his face beat in and made ugly," Zoicite lied through his teeth. No one could possibly guess these men were the reincarnated Shitennou, who lived a thousand years ago, or that they had tried to enslave and kill off the human race on the strength of their current antics.

"Well, what ever it is, I hope everything works out for them. Come on Jad..., let's get to art class. Today we have to create a game character from scratch. Draw him on paper, then scan it in and then cg it. Bye Zoi, seeya later, man." Jack waved as he dragged Jadeite off towards the arts building.

Well, I guess it is time to head off to wonderful business management class. What fun, but I will have to talk to Jad about blabbing his mouth off in public about what we do at home and about Kunzite and Nephrite's obsession with their princesses. I wonder how Ami is doing. I have not seen her since last week when she was studying at the library and that was from afar. I really need to go see Setsuna, because all this sneaking around is starting to get to me. Her majesty gave us back our lives so we could get another chance with our loves and be there for our prince. I wonder if he misses us. I miss giving him advice even though he rarely took it. Last time I remember him telling us he and the princess were expecting a baby. I wonder how that is going. I will go see Setsuna after my class. Jad can simply figure out another way to get home. Zoisite thought as he walked towards the Business faculty where all the management courses were conducted. 


	3. Chapter 3

.:.:.:.

Title: Tides of Fortune and Destiny

By: Siarene

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: These are not my characters by any means. However the baby when she is born will be. I am just barrowing these characters for my story.

.::. Tokyo Center Mall .::.

"Oh, that is so pretty, Usagi." Minako gushed as she looked at the little pink ruffled dress Usagi held up for everyone's inspection.

The others nodded their approval as she put it into her cart. They had finished eating and decided to head back to the third floor to do more baby shopping. They were looking at clothes right now.

"There are so many cute things here, guys," Rei said excitedly, picking thru the items within the basket they had selected. So far they had chosen from zero to three months: 3 dresses, 5 pairs of pants -- in alternating colors of pink, yellow and purple -- 2 of these were itsy-bitsy pairs of jeans and an assortment of cute little sweatpants and shirts to match. Presently, they were looking for sleepers and onesis when Usagi happened upon the little dress she was holding up.

"You need sleepers and onesis, Usagi. I think for you, at 3 months, four dresses are more than enough."

"You also need to buy some socks and mittens," Ami cut in, trying to be the voice of reason. Usagi offered a slight pout, moved away from the racks of dresses, and examined the sleepwear and onesis. She blinked, took a deep breath, sighed, and moved into the desired isle. Usagi's eyes almost bugged out of her head at the sight that met her bright azure eyes, an entire isle filled with exactly what she was looking for, wondering how on Earth would she ever choose.

"Look at these, guys. How am I ever going to choose?" Usagi's eyes took in the sight of the boys and girl's isles and moved towards the girl's side of the store.

"Easy, meatball head, remember to keep out an eye for 'footed sleepers' and onesis." Rei said as if this was the simplest thing in the world to do.

Usagi ignored her friend and continued to browse. She spent around five minutes on her quest before her eyes finally landed on a pack of the 'footed sleepers' there were three, these pink in color covered in little flower motifs. She then examined them more closely.

"That's one of the items you need taken care of, Usagi. All you need do now is to choose a couple more colors, otherwise your daughter will come to hate the color pink." Minako piped in. as she looked for onesis.

"The baby won't care what Usagi dresses her in till she is a little older and more independent… I guess around two years of age, Minako." Ami stated confidently as she looked at the sleepers Usagi was considering purchasing to make sure that there were no tears or anything.

"Do you want anything with ducks on it, Usagi?" Makoto held up a pack of onesis that had duck motifs on the front of them. Usagi shook her head and went back to her examination of the sleepers. She wanted three packs and especially wanted a purple set.

"Here are some with bunnies," Rei called out as she picked up two packs of onesis's with the bunnies on them. the pink and purple bunnies set against a white background and looked so cute. She held them out for Usagi's inspection. Usagi gave a nod of approval before throwing these into the cart. A few minutes later, Usagi finally found her purple sleepers and tossed those into the cart as well.

"Let's see what else these isles have in them?" Usagi suggested as the girls started to explore the next isle. They found diapers, wipes and other such body-care stuff the baby would need. But they did not have to buy this right now, not until much closer to the due date. So, onto the next isle, they went and there they found blankets and diaper bags and stopped to check out that isle.

"Do you think I would be asking for trouble if I got a diaper bag already?" Usagi asked the girls.

"I don't think it would do any harm, but remember to leave something for people to buy for the baby shower, Usa. Cause if you buy everything now, then we can't have a little party with a cute little cake, other appetizers, and games and of course, all the gifts. I am fairly sure your mom would kill you if she couldn't throw you a baby shower." Minako explained.

The others nodded their agreement. Happy with that, Usagi leaned forward and rummaged through the diaper bags to find one she liked. However, Rei found the bag she was hoping to snare. It was a large bag with a white body covered in cute little pink bunnies, and Pink flowers adorned its borders. There were four compartments to put bottles on the front. an adjustable strap that one could lengthen by sliding the buckle and it had a zipped top. Inside were a changing pad and pockets to put stuff like binkies, and the bag's interior was big enough to hold loads of diapers, extra bottles, wipes, and clothes the baby might need.

"That is so pretty, Rei. Put it in the cart, please. Now what about blankets? What kind do I need, Ami-chan?" Usagi asked her friend as she looked the blankets up and down.

"You need receiving blankets for sure. You can get little fleece blankets and flannel, since it will be January when the baby is born. At least one or two heavier blankets like quilts will be required." Ami checked off her list as Usagi took it all in and began her search.

Usagi found four yellow and purple flannel receiving blankets. Minako found a couple of really cute pink and purple fleecy blankets and thru them into the cart. Rei found some plain pink receiving blankets and a set with bunnies set against a white backdrop. Makoto found two pink and purple shaded quilts to go with the bedding she had bought.

"Okay, now that we have the bag and the blankets, I think it time to go find a rocking chair. I don't want to freak Mamo-chan out with all these purchases. So, let's go pay for all this cute stuff."

Usagi steered the cart out of the blanket isle and made her way to the front of the store. This time things went off without a hitch. No sales rep was questioning her age or if she was ready for motherhood. The total came up to 162.00, not quite as bad as the cost of the furniture. Between herself and the girls, they managed to accumulate the entire range of bags. Then satisfied, made their way out of the store.

"I forgot which floor Riley's is on, you guys have any idea?"

Usagi would have scratched her head in puzzlement, but her hands were full. The girls laughed at Usagi predicament and pointed towards the elevator.

"It's on the fourth floor along with the food court. Well, the lower level is. At least, Riley's has two levels you know. But I do believe the rocking chairs are on the bottom floor, which would be floor four," Makoto offered as they got into the elevator.

"Usagi, are you starting to get tired again. We can go sit in the food court for a while if you are…" Ami helpfully offered.

Usagi smiled, Ami -- forever always the worrier of the bunch... she thought affectionately.

"It's only been an hour, Ami-chan, It took me two to get tired last time. Plus, this is our last stop. Mamoru Said he would pick me up around three…its two-fifteen now. Oh Makoto, would you mind following us home and helping Mamo-chan bring in the car seat and stroller?" Usagi asked as she started walking in the direction the sign indicated that led to Riley's.

"Sure, no problem at all, I was just going to go to the observatory tonight anyways. They are opening it up to the public so people can see the telescope, so I will be able to see the stars. Plus, I saw the back of this hunk with reddish-chocolate brown hair that I am hoping to see again tonight. I think he works there." Usagi giggled and kept walking.

"You and guys, Makoto, what are we ever going to do with you."

"Be careful Mako-chan, because this guy sounds like Nephrite." Minako blurted out.

"Whoa…wait a minute there girl. What made you think of him just from my brief description?" Makoto was curious now. Maybe, just maybe they would find out what was bugging Minako.

"Okay look, he had reddish-chocolate brown hair and he was heavily into the stars. And I think I saw Kunzite three weeks ago."

"You what…?" Usagi almost said a little too loudly.

The girls made 'shushing' sounds and they soon found a bench to sit at. Ami motioned for Minako to continue. "Well, it was three weeks ago when I was coming home from our study session. It was real late and foggy. I was taking a short cut thru the park and I saw this lone figure just standing there. I thought maybe he was lost. But when I got closer, I immediately recognized him and knew whom it was. It was Kunzite. I thought he was a ghost, so I screamed and ran away. Well, ever since that night, I have been having these dreams about this man and woman in the throws of passionate lovemaking. It's keeping me up at night and I don't know what to do." Minako finally let go of what she had been holding in for three weeks.

"Well, that is odd. To see him and then have dreams about a couple. Maybe, it has to do with your past?" Ami suggested.

Minako shook her head emphatically. "The Earth and Moon were not allowed to mingle with one another, so it would not have been possible."

Usagi started to giggle uncontrollably at that statement. "Then how do you explain me and Mamo-chan, Minako. The Generals were once the Shitennou and like Mamoru, they were reborn. Yes, Beryl did snag them again, but they are still alive somewhere."

Usagi did not wish to reveal that both she and Mamoru could talk to the Shitennou in front of the girls. That would probably make them want to destroy the stones. Usagi made a mental note to ask the guys about what Minako had seen in the park and did they know anything about it.

"Let's just drop it, okay. And don't tell Luna. Last thing I need is Artemis on my case about seeing dead guys. He worries too much as it is. Now let's go find you that rocking chair. It is two-thirty now."

Minako stood up and started walking toward the furniture store. This time without further interruption, they made it. A Sales rep waited at the door and offered to help them.

"Hi, my name is David, how may I be of service?"

Usagi looked uncertain, not wanting another incident. Then Rei took charge as always. "We are looking for a glider rocking chair and stool. Do you have any in stock?" Rei asked politely, waiting like Usagi for another incident.

"Yes we do, ma'am. What color are you looking for? We have natural finishes and stained woods."

"Do you have a reddish wooden stained chair?" Usagi asked, becoming curious.

"We have one of those left ma'am. Would you like to try it?" David asked as he turned on his heel and led them to where the rocking chairs were on display. He gestured towards the chair she had asked about and Usagi sat down in it. She sunk right into the padding and sighed contentedly. She started rocking, imagining what it would be like to hold her little girl in her arms. Yes, she definitely wanted this chair.

"When can you get this delivered, sir?" Usagi stepped out of the chair and wove her way around the footstool to join her friends.

"You can have it tomorrow if you like, ma'am since we have it in stock and it does not have to come from the factory." David was pleased he was going to make another sale, and This would make five over-all for the day.

"Great. Where do we pay for this chair and stool?" David smiled at Usagi and asked her to follow him to a counter a short distance away.

Once the paperwork was completed, David smiled. "Your total comes to 364.99 ma'am." David took the form from Usagi as she fished out Mamoru credit card for the last time and handed it to the sales rep. After placing the credit card back in her bag, smiling politely and left the store.

"Mamo-chan might kill me after all the spending I did today – almost, if not over 2000.00 dollars I've spent today. I hate to think of everything else I am going to need for the baby. I won't be seeing him for a few weeks after this, because he will think he has to take extra shifts at the hospital to pay for all of this." Usagi started to complain.

"Stop your whining, meatball head. He knew what he was getting himself into when you two made this baby." Rei said a little tartly as they found themselves standing in front of the elevator once again.

As the doors opened onto the first floor, the site of Mamoru filled Usagi's line of vision. He saw all the bags the girls were carrying and groaned, but kept a smile on his face when he kissed his wife.

"I got everything I wanted except the alarm clock," Usagi started, but then saw the bag Mamoru was holding. "So, you went ahead and got one, huh. Well, I hope it's not as bad as your last one. How did your studying go?" Usagi was feeling a little weary, but had enough energy to be as curious as a cat.

"It went fine. How are you, and did you get tired at all?" Mamoru asked gently, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist and looked over her head at the girls.

"It did, that is, after I had a horrible time in the baby furniture store. This woman was rude and would not let go of the subject concerning how young I was to be having a baby."

Usagi saw worry lines forming on her husband's forehead and attempted to soothe him. "Its fine, Rei took care of it. We have a furniture delivery tomorrow from two different stores. We have a rocker and stool coming from Riley's and from Sophia's baby land: a bassinet, chest of drawers, crib, hamper, and a changing table. I think that covers all the furniture. We also got some other things the baby will need and the baby book. I will start on that when we get home, okay. Well, I am ready to go. Oh, Makoto is going to follow us, because she put the car seat and stroller in the back of her car. So I will see you guys sometime later. Come on Makoto and Mamo-chan." Usagi waved goodbye to the others and started walking towards the exit with her friend and husband. 


	4. Chapter 4

.:.:.:.

Title: Tides of Fortune and Destiny

By: Siarene

Chapter Four

Disclaimer: These are not my characters by any means. However the baby when she is born will be. I am just barrowing these characters for my story.

A slight breeze swept quietly across the meadow, making the soft spring grasses dance. A gentle splash in the background accompanied the sweet trill of baby birds in a nest at the edge of the forest bordering this picturesque meadow. On closer inspection, a small waterfall cascaded over a formation of small rocks, these fed by a stream from the woods. Inside the clear waters beneath the waterfall lived its residence, teaming with black and silver fish. Algae also floated upon the sweet smelling clear water as ripples coming from the waterfall and movement of fish caressed its mirror-like surface. Water flowers also adorned the mirror-like surface moved by the motion of the tumbling water. A doe with her very young buck at her side munched happily on some spring grasses near the forest alive with many varieties of early spring flowers such as daylilies in an assortment of colors and cheerful daisies. The stunning blooms gave off their sweet perfume as they swayed in the breeze, showing off their brilliance in the bright sunlight.

In the middle of the meadow stood a young woman with her long blonde hair flowing about her shapely form, her tresses caught in the slight breeze, her shimmering locks almost kissing the ground. Beside her stood a stunning blue-haired beauty, both women adorned in dresses of rich color, best suited for princesses looking as if they were waiting for someone to show up. The blue haired girl looked decidedly nervous as she stood beside her companion.

"Serenity, please tell me why we're here again. You know it is forbidden for us to set foot on Earth, what if your mother found out. She would yell at both of us before telling my mother and then I would get a severe scolding," Ami tried to reason with her friend as they continued waiting within the pretty meadow.

"Oh Ami, just stuff it. You are the one who insisted I need protection. It's ridiculous that you think me incapable of protecting myself. Endy would never hurt me."

Serenity looked beyond the waterfall and out onto the endless stretch of the meadow to see if her love was coming.

"No, Serenity I will not "Stuff it" as you so eloquently put it. We should not be down here in the first place. It is dangerous, and what if the earthlings catch us. You know we cannot use our magic down here. It would blow their minds to know they were not alone and there was magic throughout the universe. They are of the opinion that magic is simply a hoax and unreal--" Ami found herself cut off by the sound of what she thought the hooves of horses hitting the ground. They were coming at a fast pace. As they neared, Ami could make out a young man on a big black stallion and a younger man upon a cream bay mare. The riders were almost upon the girls before they finally stopped in front of them. The dark haired rider atop the mighty stallion dismounted. Serenity ran to him before Ami could stop her. The stranger picked up Serenity and swung her into a hug as he kissed her face all over.

The other rider, slowly, but surely, got off his bay mare with a cautious and deliberate movement as if assessing any danger to the other rider. Ami sucked in her breath as she looked at the man with his blond curly hair and striking lithe body in his black and gold uniform.

"Endy, where have you been…? I have been waiting here for almost an hour… Oh, and I thought you were supposed to come alone," Serenity scolded her one truelove, hands on hips.

"Same could be said of you, my love. Anyway, this is Zoicite. He is the youngest of my guard, the Shitennou. He thought I might get myself into some trouble, so he insisted he come along for the ride." Endymion introduced Zoicite to his love.

"Well, this is Princess Ami of Mercury. She is of the opinion that I am still a child and need a nursemaid," Serenity said, as she took his hand and led him off towards another part of the meadow, away from their guards.

Ami, on the other hand, was admiring Zoicite. She thought him breathtakingly beautiful to behold with those handsome features of his: that curly blond hair, stunning green eyes, his face chiseled, yet warming her heart all at once. Why, he could put Adonis to shame. Oh, you naughty girl…, comparing this earthling to a god. Ami's thoughts were interrupted as Zoicite spoke to her, "It's a pleasure to meet such a fair beauty and with blue hair, too. We have nothing that exotic down here on earth," Zoicite said graciously as he reached for Ami's hand and brought it to his lips placing a gentle kiss upon the back of her hand while looking into her deep-blue eyes.

Ami pulled her hand away as soon as his lips left the soft skin of her delicate hand. "Sir..."

"Zoicite, princess, please call me Zoicite," he said meeting her eyes.

"Fine, Zoicite…" Ami breathed out.

"Since our friends are preoccupied, why don't we go see the local Mollies." Once again, Zoicite grabbed Ami's hand and started pulling her towards the waterfall Ami assumed meant the fish within the pool at the base of the waterfall.

"What are Mollies?" Ami asked as she looked into the soft rippling pond. It was then she saw them, little black and silver fish darting about beneath the surface. On closer examination, she found some spotted.

"Mollies are communal fish. They live in communities of their own or other communal fish like platys and swordtail fish. There are others besides these live with Mollies, but right now, I cannot bring these to mind . Mollies do birth about thirty to sixty offspring at a time, however, only ten survive and occupy a colony," Zoicite explains to his rapt audience.

"How horrible that so many of these die," Ami was amazed, yet applauded the tenacity of these little water-dwellers.

"Its survival of the fittest, most fish eat what is far smaller than what they can get into their mouths." Zoicite, then looked at Ami, really seeing her for the first time, captivated by the way the light highlighted her hair that seemed to possess a life of its own. It shone with a luminous blue aura. Her eyes sparkled like the Atlantic Ocean on a bright sunny day. Her lips, he mused, were luscious. Oh, how he wanted to kiss them.

"I wonder where they got off to." Ami was about to say something, but was cut off when Zoicite stepped forward and captured her lips in a slow dream-like kiss. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her to him before deepening the kiss -- their lips burning with unfettered passion.

Ami, taken by surprise, did not pull away at first, however, but soon came to her senses and disentangled herself. Gasping for much needed air, and with all the strength she could muster, she slapped him. "What, in the name of the gods do you think you are doing, earthling."

"My… my, it seems my little water lily has a temper, now doesn't she," Zoicite declared, amused by Ami's reaction, immediately kissed his infuriated princess once again. Then, they heard a giggle coming from the direction the prince and princess had taken earlier. Zoicite ran a hand over his immaculate black and gold uniform as he watched his prince and the princess approach. "Seems your princess just saved you, my dear…."

"Ami, you all right…?" Serenity asked, looking at her friend's flushed face.

"It's time to go, Serenity. Mina can only cover for us so long despite what she thinks how effective her skills might be."

Serenity nodded her agreement and stood up on tiptoes to kiss Endymion and say goodbye. Both women smiled and bowed to each man, turned and walked towards the southern corner of the meadow to where the portal was waiting for them.

"Did something important happen back there you are not telling me?" Serenity questioned, a look of determined curiosity in her azure eyes.

"Nothing important happened, Serenity. He just infuriates me," Ami sighed as the portal swirled into life before them." Let's go home and I hope no one catches us." Ami stated as they crossed the threshold that would take them home.

"Hey Zoi, wake up, man," Thomas whispered to the daydreamer. When whispering did not wake him up, he picked up the book lying on the couch, hitting Zoicite on the back of the head. Well that snapped him out of his daydream.

"What's your problem…, man?" Zoicite said indignant at the interruption, rubbing his head.

"You were in la-la land and class is over. You missed the lecture on contract acquisitions. Hey what are you doing Friday?" Thomas asked.

"Nothing at the moment, why...?" Still rubbing his aching skull, Zoicite gathered his books.

"Well, I and some of the guys are going to Cold Fusion. Would you and Jadeite like to come?" Thomas walked out of the classroom.

"Sure, and Jad would look forward to taking every opportunity to get drunk and pick up girls."

Zoicite, after saying his goodbyes started to walk down the hallway. He still had to go to Setsuna's and talk to her about what to do. He stepped into the fresh air, inhaled, letting out a slow breath and then began moving towards the Business faculty building where the parking lot was located. He headed for his Cobalt. It was a sleek metallic blue car with silver trim. Getting in, Zoicite started the engine and put his seat belt on. Backing out of his parking space, Zoicite moved onto the main road that would take him to Setsuna's high-rise apartment.

"Mamoru, have you talked to the guys lately?" Usagi asked as they pulled into the garage of their apartment. She turned to see that Makoto was right behind them.

Mamoru looked at Usagi with a look of sudden panic on his face. "What made you think of them?" He asked with a sideways glance at Usagi.

"Oh, nothing much, just something Minako said. She claimed Kunzite appeared in front of her about three weeks ago." Usagi said, unbuckling her seatbelt. She got out of the passenger side of the car, walked around the back of the car and retrieved her bags from the trunk. She looked back to see if Mamoru was helping Makoto with the stroller and car seat. Seeing they had everything handled, she started walking towards the elevator.

"So are you still going to the observatory?" Usagi asked as the beeps of the elevator chimed as it continued on its way to the thirteenth floor.

"Yeah, I think Minako was a little delusional when she said Kunzite was alive."

Usagi and Mamoru looked at Makoto, then each other with a knowing look. She knew the Shitennou were alive, but not the way Minako thought they were. Usagi thought to herself as the elevator opened onto their level and stepped into the hallway. Four doors down was apartment '22d,' Usagi fished out her keys and unlocked the door and entered the familiar apartment and set her bags down inside the living room and waited for the others to come in with the larger items .

"Okay, go set that stuff in the corner, over there so it is not in the way when the delivery guys bring in the baby furniture." Usagi pointed towards the said corner.

"Okay, honey." Mamoru put the car seat in the corner. Makoto did the same.

"Well girlfriend, I am out of here." Makoto waved goodbye and shut the door behind her.

"I'm gonna go lay down for a while. Do you have anything you have to do?" Usagi asked Mamoru from her place in the kitchen. Somewhat hungry, she went looking for something to eat. But low and behold, the fridge was near empty.

"But... Oh, Mamo-chan, the fridge needs restocking. I am gonna make a list, can you go and get what we need. I am thinking of making curry for supper tonight."

Usagi sat at the table and made her list. Mamoru came out of the bedroom, sat opposite watching her make a detailed list of the things they would need in her elegant handwriting, when she was done, he took the list from her.

" have a good nap, Usako…see you later," he hugged her as she sat looking up at him with those adorable puppy-dog eyes and he smiled, kissing the top of her head and said his goodbye and waved as she blew him a kiss as he left.

Curious about what Minako had said, Usagi got up and went into the bedroom and opened the drawer where Mamoru kept the stones. She was surprised to find Nothing there. Panicking, Usagi started searching the bedroom thinking Mamoru had moved the stones somewhere else. An hour later, having searched the entire apartment to no avail, she decided to wait for Mamoru to come home with the groceries.

"Hi, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked Makoto as she walked into the observatory.

"I'm here for the free viewing of the telescope that was advertised in the papers."

"Ah, yes… go straight through those doors and take a left." The receptionist said cheerfully, indicating the white doors with the yellow sign.

"Thank you so much." Makoto waved to the woman and headed towards the doors. She found the cue and Wincing internally, she looked around and found a nearby cafeteria. Thinking maybe it would be a good idea to get something to eat until the line dwindled to a handful of waiting people. She strode into the café. Looking for a table, she chanced upon the sight of a head of chestnut hair she had seen once before. ON the spot, she decided to get a closer look at this man. She approached him and waited for him to finish his conversation. The guy he was talking to looked up, saw Makoto, and brought his companion's attention to the tall Amazonian beauty out to Nephrite, who turned and looked at Makoto, a look of sudden surprise etched upon his face.

"Hi..." As soon as Makoto got a good look at her mystery guy's face, assaulted by images and memories. Images of stolen kisses, nights of lovemaking under the stars on earth, laughs shared as the memories came to Makoto in a rush.

.::. Makoto's Memories .::.

Blood was spilt and bodies were everywhere. Standing in her torn Fuku, Sailor Jupiter looked at a tall figure in the distance, her lover; this man, only a day before had been intimate with her -- whispering passionate endearments into her ear and pleasuring her. Now standing before her covered in the blood of the people he swore to protect was Nephrite. He had an evil twisted look on his face. Not the loving face she'd seen twenty-four hours ago. No, this was the look of evil. Sailor Jupiter could not believe this.

"How could you, Neph, how could you." Sailor Jupiter cried as she longed to hold her lover.

"It's Nephrite to you, sailor bitch. As to why, well I was offered something that I always wanted and that was the power you wielded. Beryl has offered me great power and all I have to do is slay you and the rest of this pitiful kingdom. My fellow Shitennou is finishing off the others as we speak."

" Beryl…, you gave yourself to that bitch. I always thought you were above being petty. You sold your soul just so you could be on par with me. I thought I knew you better than that, Neph. Well, you are gonna find your newborn power and life cut short. I will not be cut down by a stupid earthling."

Sailor Jupiter began to power up her 'Wide Sparkling Pressure' attack, Nephrite saw this and moving faster than Sailor Jupiter had expected, he shoved his sword deep into her breast. Blood poured from the fatal wound as she gripped the hilt of the embedded silver – bladed sword, looking at her former lover, his smile, the ultimate betrayal and the evil leer on his cruel face. Sailor Jupiter, tears streaming down her cheeks, her hands sticky with the hot blood of her dying heart, her broken heart, and felt more the pain of his treachery than the pain of her injuries and she sobbed uncontrollably as her life ebbed away, drew her last breath and fell dead upon the blood-soaked flagstone.

Stepping forward, Nephrite pulled his sword free from the dead Senshi, looked at the body of his former love one last time before walking silently away.

.::. Present .::.

"How can you be alive, you murdering bastard…." Makoto blurted out before passing out. Nephrite grabbed her before she hit the floor.

"What did she say to you…?" John asked his fellow assistant.

"I did not hear what she said, John, someone please call for an ambulance," Nephrite shouted as people stood there staring not a single one moving to lend a hand as Makoto lay there.

Muttering to himself, Nephrite pulled out his cell phone and called 911. "911, what is your emergency?" the operator asked in a mechanical monotone.

"Yes, I am calling from The Tokyo Observatory and I have a young woman who just passed out. She did not hit her head, because I caught her as she fell. But she needs to be taken to the hospital." Nephrite spoke into the phone hurriedly.

"Yes sir, may I have your name?"

"Nephrite…, and please hurry."

"Yes sir…, the ambulance is on the way, sir. Please stand by and be there when they arrive."

"Yes Ma'am, I will be standing by." Nephrite shut the phone off and went back to checking Makoto. He pulled off his jacket and balled it up to place under her head, relieved she was resting comfortably.

It took about fifteen minutes for the ambulance to reach the observatory. They soon went to work and checked her over for any injuries, then lifted her unconscious form onto a stretcher. One of the EMT's turned to address the crowd, "Who is Nephrite?" Standing up from where he had been kneeling Nephrite spoke up.

"I am. What do you need help with?" Nephrite asked as he looked at his former lover's ashen face.

"Would you like to accompany her so she has someone to wake up too?"

"How long before she wakes up?" Nephrite did not want to be around when she woke up, but somebody needed to stay with her.

"She could be out for quite a while. So, would you sit with her?"

"Sure, of course I will, just lead the way." Nephrite motioned for the EMT's to go so he could follow.

Moving out of the Observatory's grounds to the ambulance, Nephrite was growing more concerned. He wondered what had made her pass out like that. They loaded Makoto into the ambulance and he got in right behind her.

Knocking on the door to the apartment, Zoicite waited for Setsuna to answer the door. Finally, the door creaked open and a pair of innocent eyes peeked out at him from the narrow gap.

"Hi, Hotaru is your mama in?"

The little girl opened the door some more and nodded. She knew this person so she let him in, motioning for him to follow.

Sitting in her drawing room hunched over what looked to be a sketch for a designer garment, she looked up and greeted the shitennou. "Welcome, Zoicite. How are you today?"

"I have a problem and I need advice on how to handle it."

Setsuna waved Zoicite to a nearby chair. "You boys seem to be having a lot of problems, however, but you're about to have a lot more and quite soon, too." Zoicite looked puzzled. The expression in his eyes filled with unasked questions for the Senshi of time. "Soon I am going to have a visitor and your boy's secret will be out. You are going to have your hands full, but you knew that when you accepted your chance at redemption."

"What do you mean…, a visitor? What kind of trouble are we in…, can you tell me anything?" Zoicite was full of questions and knew inside what the answer would be.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you anything. All you can do is go on with your life and expect things to change soon. I am sorry if it is not what you wanted to hear. What is it that you needed?"

"No, you gave me plenty to think about. I think I will take your advice and go home. I have a chapter to read for class tomorrow, goodbye."

Zoicite rose and Setsuna escorted him to the door of her apartment and she watched his retreating figure as he moved along the corridor.

He would go home and put Ami out of his mind for now, and whatever the future would bring, he'd try to be ready.

"Where are the stones, Mamo-chan?" Usagi probed, jumping on Mamoru as soon as he entered the apartment, a look of panic in his eyes as he looked at her.

"What are you talking about, Usako? They have always been…."

Usagi's eyes widened, as he lied barefaced at her. Her lashes fluttered and eyes misted up with hurt. "I never thought you would stoop to lie to me again, Mamoru. How could you?" She cried and ran into the bedroom and through herself on the bed crying her heart out.

Mamoru, felt so bad and went to comfort his pregnant wife. "Usako, I am sorry, I did not wish to worry you when I found the stones missing. Yes, they are missing. I had this dream about our future selves and Setsuna. They were floating above their stones and then all of a sudden they disappeared, can you forgive me?"

Mamoru sat down beside his crying wife, and soon her sobs subsided and only the occasional sniffle emerged from the woman beside him. She leaned upon her elbows and looked at him, eyes red, about to say something when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Mamoru answered the phone. He listened for a few minutes and then his face went pale. He finally hung up the phone and looked at Usagi.

"Makoto fainted at the Observatory. She was rushed to the hospital." Mamoru told her as Usagi gathered herself, stood up and walked out of the bedroom. "Well, come on. We have to go to the hospital and be there for her. So stop looking stupid and get your keys." She slipped into her shoes and they were out the door with Mamoru right behind her.

"Excuse me, do you have a piece of paper and envelope with you," Nephrite asked the station nurse.

She looked up, nodded and handed him the items he'd requested and went back to her work. Nephrite turned on his heel, made his way to a table in the waiting room, and wrote a quick note. Folding the paper and putting it into the envelope, he walked to Makoto's ward and placed the note in her lap as she was still out cold.

Risking one more look at his beloved, Nephrite smiled sadly and left the private ward, closing the door quietly behind him as he went. 


	5. Chapter 5

.:.:.:.

Title: Tides of Fortune and Destiny

By: Siarene

Chapter Four

Disclaimer: These are not my characters by any means. However the baby when she is born will be. I am just barrowing these characters for my story.

The sounds of medical equipment, humming monitors and a raft of hushed tones moved over the semi-conscious girl, coming from all directions. Tubes and cords attached to her reclined figure, hooked up to these flashing machines and screens around her bed. This young girl, her long brown hair splayed out on her pillow , and under the sheet covering her , one could tell she was a tall and strong young woman, about sixteen to seventeen years of age, her face tense in its restless slumber. Her forehead Creased in an unpleasant frown. Whatever the young girl was dreaming, it was obviously not a very pleasant dream. On the blue sheet draped over her was a cream-colored envelope. Shifting uncomfortably in her sleep, Makoto started to moan. Cold, she thought as she started to become conscious.

Slowly Cracking one eye open to try to get her bearings, Makoto realized she was no longer at the observatory's cafeteria. Opening her eyes all the way, she tried to sit up. A nurse, on her rounds, just happened to be walking by, noticing Makoto was waking up.

Entering her room, the nurse checked the monitors and started to talk to Makoto. "Are you feeling okay, sweetie?" the nurse asked as she checked Makoto's chart and looked one last time at the monitors.

"Where am I and what happened?" Makoto was still a little foggy after being asleep.

"You feinted at the observatory and were brought to the hospital. Also, we called one of your friends and she will be here shortly, and somebody left you this." The nurse pointed to the note Nephrite placed on Makoto's lap.

"Which friend did you call?" Mako pulled the note out of the envelope wondering who would have left it, or even known she was at the hospital.

"The guy that came in with you said to call a, Chiba Mamoru. So that is who we called. He and his wife will be here soon. I am going to go get the doctor for you." The nurse bustled out of the room on her errand.

Meanwhile Mako had opened the note and was looking at it. It read:

Makoto, I know you must have many questions now that you have found this note. All I can say is, I am sorry about what happened. I know that is not much as far as any explanation is concerned. If you want answers, go to Setsuna, and I hope, she will answer all of your questions. All I ask of you is not tell anyone you have seen me and that I am alive. It is imperative that this remains secret for now. We still have not figured out how to explain our new lives to our beloved prince. Please go to Setsuna and get your answers. Maybe one day we will meet again. Until that day, I hope all is well with you.

Nephrite

Mako looked at the letter one more time before balling it up. Anger swelled within her as she mentally reviewed the words of the note. How dare he ask anything of me? After all the evil he committed and innocent blood, he spilled all for his lust for power. Why is he still alive? I know he died. I saw his stone, so many questions that need answers. I guess I will have to go see Setsuna and find out why that murdering bastard stands amongst the living. Mako thought as she noticed a doctor coming into her ward.

"Hello, Miss Kino. How are you feeling right now?" The doctor looked at Mako's chart and hummed to himself.

"Nothing hurts, if that is what you mean. All I remember is seeing something and then everything went black."

"Yes, that is what I want to know. Now look straight forward and pick a spot on the wall I am going to examine your eyes." Makoto did as she was asked and looked at an information poster on breast cancer as the doctor ran his bright mini flashlight across her eyes to see f her eyes dilated and if the pupils responded to the light.

"Yes, nothing seems to be damaged. I guess it would be okay to release you since there are no signs of concussion." The doctor said cheerfully as he took her chart from the nurse and left the room.

Just as he was leaving, Usagi and Mamoru came in. Usagi ran to her friend as Mamoru stood back and looked on. "Oh Mako-chan, what happened…, I thought you were going to use the telescope?" Usagi fired off her questions at her startled friend. Before Makoto opened her mouth to speak, she remembered what Nephrite had asked of her, and decided before she told anyone she would get her answers first.

"I just feinted for some strange reason, Usa-chan. Nothing to worry about, I am going to be fine." Makoto assured her friend.

"Nobody feints for any reason, Mako-chan, but if you say your fine, I will accept that. When do you get out of here?"

Usagi fidgeted as she waited for her friend to reply. "The doctor who passed you on your way in said I could go right away, so how about that for perfect timing, huh. I am only waiting for my discharge papers. Hey, you looked worried for more reasons than just my well-being and all that. Is something wrong with the baby?" Makoto questioned, noticing the lines in Usagi face.

"Oh no, Mamo-chan just misplaced something at the house. That's all," Usagi, laughed off her friend's questions. There was no way she was going to tell Makoto about the stones.

"Are you sure, Usa-chan?" Makoto watched as her friend shot a quick glance at her husband and back to her friend, nodding. Makoto had to except that for now. Something was going on that was real important. At that moment, the nurse walked in with a bag and papers.

"Miss Kino, here are your clothes and your discharge papers. If you will just sign the top copy you can get dressed and be on your way." The nurse handed Makoto her clothes and the papers with a pen. Makoto quickly signed the documents and handed them back to the nurse who smiled before leaving the room.

Makoto got out of bed and looked at her friends. "Oh sorry, we'll be right outside the door, Mako-chan." Usagi held up her hands as they went outside.

Makoto took off her gown and put on her green tank top and blue jeans. With that task finished, she put her boots on. Gathering the bag and her copy of the papers, she walked out of the room into the ER's labyrinth of corridors. She saw her friends waiting for her a short distance away.

"Hey Mamoru, could you give me a ride to Setsuna's. There is something I need to ask her." Makoto looked at her friend's husband for some kind of confirmation while Usagi asked why. "There is something I need to talk to her about. You know, past stuff." Makoto hoped Usagi bought it.

"Sure, Makoto, then after that why don't I take you back to the Observatory to get your truck." Makoto nodded and they chatted companionably as they stepped through the ER's automatic doors. They headed for Mamoru's red sports car. There was a back seat, but not much of one.

"You look like hell, man. What happen to you? You were supposed to be home a couple of hours ago." Zoicite said to Nephrite as he walked in the door. Dinner was cooking coming form the kitchen and Nephrite couldn't help but inhale the smell of good food, a pleasant experience after the day he'd had.

"Makoto knows about me. She saw me at work and feinted. I think she got some of her memories back, because she called me a murdering bastard before she passed out. In addition, the look in her eyes radiated pure hatred. The only way she would give me that look and say what she said was because her memories were restored, or part thereof." Nephrite explained to his shocked friend.

"Well, Setsuna said things were going to change soon, but didn't think it would be so quickly, I guess soon is now." Nephrite looked puzzled. "I went to see her. I am tired of hiding out. I want to go up to Ami and see her, not just from afar. But Setsuna said we had to wait a little longer."

"It looks like we won't have to wait, I left a note with Makoto to go see Setsuna about what she saw today, whether she has done this or not, I cannot say." Nephrite stated as he looked toward the kitchen and wondered what was cooking for supper that smelt so good.

"Beef stir-fry is what is for dinner, along with some broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet peas. I think there are even some rolls for supper. Kunzite has been cooking since he got home, which means he had a bad day at work." Zoisite filled in the blanks for Nephrite.

"With his old man as a father, I would have a permanent bad day at work every time I went in." Neph joked, trying to lighten his inner turmoil.

"So, back to the girls; do you think we are going to be safe?"

"We shall see soon enough. I have a feeling we might have to fight for our lives, because the Sailor Senshi might come out of retirement." Kunzite put in from the doorway to the kitchen.

"Someone get Jadeite, because supper is ready." Kunzite strode across the kitchen to finish getting the table ready.

Knocking on the door, Makoto waited patiently. The door opened a few seconds later to reveal Setsuna's smiling face. "I was wondering when you would show up, Mako-chan. Come in…, I feel you are busting with questions."

Setsuna opened the door wider, allowing the younger girl to enter her apartment. Guiding Makoto to the table, her eyes were met by the sight of a tea post and cups set for what seemed a planned occasion, and the two women sat down.

"Makoto, Both Kunzite and Zoisite have been to see me today. Would you like some tea?" Setsuna picked up the pot, filled her cup, and waited for Makoto's response. Seeing her nod, Setsuna filled her cup, too. "Since you are not yet drinking age, I thought tea would be more appropriate, Makoto. So, go ahead and ask your questions." Setsuna waited while the young girl gathered herself.

"How can they be alive…, and why are they here in Tokyo, and why hadn't we been informed they were back and living comfortable normal lives? Why have you not filled us in on our past as opposed to letting us discover it on our own. I for one did not want my first memory of my past to be Nephrite betraying us all and slaughtering me in cold blood after we'd been lovers." Makoto blurted out so fast Setsuna had to suppress a laugh.

"First off, slow down and breathe deep breaths. I don't wish to have you passing out again." Setsuna could see Makoto's puzzled expression, but continued on, "Guardian of time, remember, I know everything that goes on, young Jupiter. First off, they are alive because their prince wishes it so. Mamoru has had the stones for a couple of years now. From those stones, the sprites of the Shitennou could be summoned to talk to their prince and his wish they return. Therefore, he could have their companionship back. So one night I took the stones to the Time Gate. There, Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion met me. From there, the Queen used the Ginzuishou to bring the spirits of the stones to life. Then I worked my magic and gave the Shitennou new lives. Just like Chibi-Usa had for Usagi's family. I gave them families who believed they had been there all along, living and working in Tokyo." Makoto started to open her mouth, but a stern glare from Setsuna made her keep her silence. "They are living comfortable lives, yes. But, they are in conflict. Unlike you girls, they have their memories. So, they know what they did in the past and here in the present before they were killed and turned into stones. They are struggling with their memories each and every day. As to why I did not tell you all. Well, you have to find out on your own. Memories and feelings cannot be rushed. If I told you where they were, more than likely you would transform and kill them, which I could not allow. They are here to seek redemption. Is that a sufficient enough answer for you, Makoto?"

"I guess it is going to have to be. What about the others, they have got to know."

"Simple, you cannot tell them. They must find out on their own. You cannot disrupt the cosmic balance." Setsuna said as sternly as possible.

Makoto considered this carefully, finished her tea. Standing up, she nodded to Setsuna and saw herself out. She still had to collect her truck. 


	6. Chapter 6

.:.:.:.

Title: Tides of Fortune and Destiny

By: Siarene

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: These are not my characters by any means. However the baby when she is born will be. I am just barrowing these characters for my story.

"Come on pretty boy, if you don't hurry we wont be able to meet your classmate because he will already be gone." Jadeite yelled into Zoisite's room as he waited out in the hallway. Nephrite walked out of his own room to see what all the commotion was about and try sorting it out if the need arose. Just then, Zoisite stepped out of his room and closed the door behind him.

"Where are you two off too?" Nephrite inquired as he stood in the doorway of his room.

"Cold Fusion Nephrite, we are meeting some of my class mates there." Zoisite filled in the blanks as he and Jadeite moved down the hallway towards the door. Nephrite told them to be careful as they stepped out the entrance.

"Well I am all alone now, might as well enjoy it while it lasts." Nephrite said out loud, as he went back into his room to read.

Kunzite had left sometime after supper, not saying where he was going, only saying he was going out.

"Usagi, this is not such a good idea. That place is going to be crowded and people will likely be shoving each other in different directions and such." Mamoru tried to point out to his wife as she put on light make up at her vanity.

"I want to try this place, Mamo-chan. Just stop treating me like a rare statue teetering on a pedestal and let me enjoy the rest of my summer break. We only have a week left of it to go." Usagi looked Mamoru in the eye and pleaded with him. The girls and she wanted to try this club called 'Cold Fusion.'

"Fine, but be careful not to get hit in the stomach." Mamoru relented as he walked over and kissed his wife on the top of her golden head. There moment was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"That has to be Mako-chan. Go answer the door while I get my purse and slip on my shoes." Usagi got up and went to find her shoes as Mamoru answered the door.

Sure enough, it was Makoto. "Hello Mako-chan, how are you feeling?" Mamoru inquired as he let the tall girl glide thru the doorway of his apartment. Makoto made a face as she crossed the threshold.

"When is everyone going to quit asking me that? I just had a moment where I felt a little faint and passed out. Nothing is wrong with me, it was just one of those freak incidents."

Makoto was frustrated with her friends, for they kept asking her if she was all right. Mamoru held up his hands in a gesture of truce. That was when Usagi made her appearance from the bedroom, purse in hand. She looked from her husband to her friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Do I even want to know what you two were talking about?" Usagi asked as she stood there summing up the situation.

"Mamoru, like everyone else, was nagging me about whether or not I am feeling well." Makoto answered as Mamoru laughed.

Usagi laughed, waving both of them towards the door . She did not want to be late and have Rei have a go at her. She was feeling a little uneven as far as her emotions went and would probably cry if Rei yelled at her tonight.

"Bye Mamo-chan, we will see you later." Usagi kissed her husband goodbye and left with her friend.

Across the street from Usagi and Mamoru's apartment building stood a tall shadowy figure. He watched Usagi and Makoto as they emerged from the front doors of the building and get into a big green SUV. He watched as Makoto started up her four runners and pulled out of her parking spot curbside and take off down the road. Standing there motionless for a moment or two, aware his prince was now alone, Kunzite made a fateful decision that might spell the end for the reborn Shitennou. However, their prince deserved to know they were back. With that thought on his mind, Kunzite disentangled himself from the shadows and crossed the street towards the apartment building. He looked at the atrium, taking in his surroundings, feeling a little conspicuous as he stepped into the elevators and pushed the up button. Setsuna told them they were on the fourth floor in apartment '22D'. The doors slid open and he stepped quickly inside, finding himself encased by four metallic walls that made him feel a little claustrophobic as the steel cage ascended.

Kunzite, getting his bearings, moved casually down the hall until he found his quarry. He stopped. Pausing for a moment, testing his nerve, Kunzite raised a closed fist, and in quick succession, brought it down in three quick knocks and waited. Slowly, as if an eternity had passed him by, the door opened to reveal the face of Mamoru. His eyes opened in shock as he stood in his doorway staring at the Leader of his dead Shitennou.

Gathering his nerve, Kunzite bowed. "My prince…"

"Hey Tom, how are you, man?" Zoicite questioned as he slapped his classmate on the back.

"Nothing much, Zoi, just listening to music and getting drunk… Dave here, is married and trying to pretend he's not."

Everyone laughed at Dave's expense, but it was all in fun. Jad made his way towards Zoicite and Thomas and ordered a beer.

"How much do you want to bet that Jed is drunk in an hour's time? He thinks he can hold his booze, but he really can't," Zoicite said, loud enough for Jadeite to hear and punch him on the upper arm. Everyone laughed and ordered their drinks as they soaked in the atmosphere of the dark dance club.

"So, you are trying to tell me that because of my desire to have you back with me in the flesh and have your companionship once again, my future self, and Usagi's future self, and Sailor Pluto took the stones from my drawer and brought you back to life?" Mamoru asked, trying to understand what Kunzite was telling him.

"Yes, my prince."

"Mamoru please, Kunzite. You are my oldest friend and I am no longer prince." Mamoru told his friend.

"Yes…, Mamoru." Kunzite said hesitantly, testing out the name. It was hard for him not to call Mamoru his prince. He still believed him to be the prince of Earth and Usagi princess of the moon.

"Well, how are you then?" Mamoru asked, trying to strike up a conversation with Kunzite.

"Life is life. Jadeite has not changed in the least. He and Zoisite are currently attending college, Jadeite for game design, and Zoicite is studying business management. Nephrite works at the Observatory…"

"Did Makoto see him there? Is that the reason she passed out?"

"Yes, you could say that, she definitely saw him there and instantly got her memories back. She must have remembered something pretty painful, as it caused her to pass out. He went with her to the hospital. I can tell by the look on your face she did not tell you she saw him. Well, she was instructed by Setsuna not to tell anyone. She wanted the girls to find out on their own. But I felt that you should know we are alive."

"Yes, according to Usagi, Minako thought she saw you, but assumed you were a phantom or ghost," Mamoru tried to explain.

"That's right, she reacted strangely after seeing me in the park a few weeks ago."

"So then, they all saw you die so I can see where she would get the idea you were a ghost. So what made you show yourself to her anyways?" Mamoru asked.

"I haven't been able to sleep all that well for quite a while now, so I go out and walk around town . I happened to see her and the compulsion to see her again up close overwhelmed me. I know it was a mistake, but I had to see her. When I go for a walk, I always end up at her house watching her window."

"So, basically you have been stalking her," Mamoru summarized.

"Yes…, that is essentially the truth of it," Kunzite agreed.

"So, how about you…, what are you doing?" Mamoru prodded, wondering as to why Kunzite did not mention what he had been up to of late.

"I would rather not say. My adoptive family -- as we have come to know them -- Neo Queen Serenity and your future self, gave us these relatives when we were reborn. just let's say, it has not exactly been a picnic. I have a hard-ass for a so-called "father". I got roped into becoming VP for his company and every moment is hell. But that is neither here nor there." Kunzite's tone suggested that this was not a subject to be talked about.

"Okay, well you should be the first of the guys to know Usa is almost four months pregnant. She has about two more weeks to go." Mamoru offered that little tidbit of information to help lighten the dark mood that had settled over the conversation and visit as a whole.

"Really, that is good news," Kunzite said in his usual serious voice. Kunzite was not one to express too much emotion.

"I know at only seventeen she is a little young, but after the final battle we decided to get married and the baby just happened. But we are really excited. In about six weeks, her mother is throwing her a baby shower. It's been hard keeping her from buying everything that is needed for the baby before people have an opportunity to purchase gifts for her. Her mother really wants to throw this party for her."

"That sounds like a typical girl, always having to have parties."

The nightclub was as dark as night with the exception of colorful spheres of light that easily caught the eye. They entered. Upon the black tiled floor, a constellation of embedded miniature lights were scattered across its reflective ebony surface, and these sparkled continuously. Translucent star-shaped lights were embedded in the ceiling overhead, these poured streams of color upon all the dancers. A line of Booths flanked the dance floor and ran the length of the wall at the rear. Tables were scattered about the bar, these arcing their way around the dance floor, disappearing into darkness.

The girl's bodies moved in a wash of dazzling colors resulting from the pulsating strobe lights, creating a sea of dancing silhouettes.

"Usagi, are you sure about this? There are a lot of people here bumping into each other," Ami asked anxiously as they passed through the doorway into the club.

Usagi looked about ready to explode, her petite frame wound as tight as a watch or coiled serpent about to strike. She stewed for a few seconds longer before unleashing her pent-up fury. "Will you guys just stop it, I am not made of glass, you know. I will not break as you and Mamoru think I will. Back off and let me enjoy myself for once. Between being pregnant -- the needless studying and school, I have had it. So hear me now and shut the hell up."

Usagi, after saying her piece, walked away from her friends. Rei was hot on her tail when she suddenly grabbed Usagi's arm and stopped her. She then heard Rei's sharp intake of breath and spun around.

"What is it, Rei?" Usagi asked, cooling down a little, noticing Rei looking towards the bar. She was trying to see what Rei was looking at when Rei suddenly let go and started off towards the bar with the girls in tow. Usagi looked and saw two blondes in Rei's line of vision. She could not see their faces, but the profiles looked familiar to her.

Finally, reaching the bar, Rei gripped the blond haired male with the short hair and spun him around. "Jadeite" Rei hissed out through clenched teeth.

Jadeite, a little drunk, looked at her arching an inquisitive eyebrow and smiled.

.::. Rei's memory flash .::.

"Serenity, where the hell are you…?" Rei shouted through the forest where she had tracked her princess. She was dressed in her fine red dress befitting her status a princess as she ran through the forest snagging it on branches and thorn along the way. She was coming to the edge of a clearing when she saw a man walking with a horse on a lead staring at her.

"Missing little girl?" Jadeite said as he looked over the lovely black-haired fiery looking woman.

"No, I am looking for someone, and you can mind your own business, stranger," Rei shot back as she started to move towards the edge of the forest.

Jadeite ,however had other ideas as he stepped in her way. Rei gave him her coldest look as she tried to move to the side. He raised his hand and cut off her escape route. "Earthling, if you ever touch me again, you will regret it," Rei hissed as she shoved Jadeite aside and moved past him.

.::. End of memory flash .::.

"Well, well…, if it isn't my little fire brand. What honey, you want some. As I recall, you loved all the lovemaking fun we had in the fields. I'm sure we can go outside the city and have some fun like old times." Jadeite smiled again.

Rei's eyes narrowed and she raised her hand. Then all of a sudden as with their last encounter a long time ago, Jadeite fell off his stool and hit the floor. He started to cover up because Rei was not satisfied with just one blow. No, she decided he needed to have his ass beat. So she lunged at him and began hitting him and trying to get past his defenses. She kicked him in the stomach as an unexpected flash of light lit up the entire club. Instantly, the girls, Zoisite, and Jadeite found themselves feeling weightless in a void of nothingness. Then the abyss dissolved into a hazy cold dark mist. Usagi looked around her, and knew exactly where they were, the time gate. She thought to herself. She looked around and saw there were other figures moving about them. She continued surveying her surroundings and could see Rei continuing her assault on Jadeite. She watched as one of these figures rushed forward to help Jadeite. The mist's parted to reveal Mamoru. He grabbed Rei and hauled her into his arms, restraining her.

"Calm down, Rei and I mean now," Mamoru commanded as she struggled.

"If she refuses to calm down, you will have to use force, Mamoru," Sailor Pluto said, stepping out of the nebulous confines of the impenetrable mists.

"What is going on, Setsuna? Why are we here at the time gate, and who are these other people with us?" Usagi fired off her questions in quick succession.

"Calm down please, Usagi all will be explained as soon as Rei regains control of herself, and it appears she has … Now someone check on Jadeite." Sailor Pluto barked as Nephrite came forward and knelt by his fellow Shitennou.

Jadeite groaned as he attempted to stand up. He felt like he had broken ribs and a busted nose. But he hardly felt the pain due to the booze. "Now that you've gained some sembelance of self-control, it is time to explain everything. You see, Due to Mamoru's desire to have his friends back, Neo queen Serenity and King Endymion had brought them back to life and gave them new lives. Yes, the Shitennou have been living among you for the last six months. You are at the time gate because it is time for all secrets to be revealed. To answer Usagi's question, these other people you see around you are the Shitennou: Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Jadeite. 


	7. Chapter 7

A thick curtain of cold grey mist shrouded the time gate -- for those aware of its presence, it presented a most depressing sight, its icy veil enveloping the eight people standing before the mistress of time, Sailor Pluto.

"Excuse me, but did you just say they were brought back to life because of a mere desire, after all their evil deeds of the past during the Silver Millennium, not to mention, Tokyo in recent years. They murdered innocent people and just like that, they are casually brought back to life and released from their prison where they deserved to be locked away forever," Rei protested, outraged as she reached for her transformation pen. "You will die for sure, this time."

The girls grabbed their pens and started to transform when suddenly the ginzuishou came to life, cutting short their transformations. "Stop…!" Usagi yelled as the crystal died down. She was sweating despite the chill brought about by the mist. The girls looked outraged at their princess and leader.

"You cannot simply murder four people in cold blood because of what they did while under the influence of evil. They deserve a second chance. I thought better of you guys. Who would have thought my friends would seek to murder anyone based on bad feelings belonging to the ancient past."

"But they tried to kill us only a few years ago…" Ami protested, clenching her fists.

Suddenly, like a mental assault it came, hitting Rei and Ami, a rush of memories of the past came crashing down upon them.

.::. Memories .::.

Rei observed Jadeite as he assumed a number of heroic poses as he wrestled Zoicite over the princess's affections. Then visions of those nights when he would be out in the woods hunting and spending time with her assaulted her senses, and a procession of countless rendezvous under the stars unfurled before her. Then she saw her death. A throwing dagger, its silvery-blue blade the only warning of imminent death as it struck her, embedding itself in her stomach as her life's blood flowed from her wound, as Jadeite laughed at her.

Ami looked on as images of a man who infuriated her swam about as she sat reading. Then she beheld scenes where she'd be gravelling thru the countryside on horseback with her lover -- he upon his mare and she, riding Crystal, his mount's offspring. As the images shifted like shadows, the pictures darkened considerably. She knew her death was quick: no gloating, posturing, or explanation. Just a quick thrust of his sword to the side of her neck, slicing thru her carotid artery.

.::. End of Memories .::.

Recovering from the startling images they had just received, Rei directed a menacing glower at Usagi. Inside, Rei was hurt and furious, for her best friend was taking the side of those murderous fiends. "How can you, Usagi… I mean, defend these murderers? They not only ruthlessly slaughtered us along with innocent millions during the Silver Millennium, but tried to take our lives again after Beryl's return a few years ago," Rei almost shouted at her so-called best friend.

"The Shitennou were brought back to correct their mistakes and seek redemption. Usagi is right. They deserve a second chance. They were seduced by Beryl. Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion could see beyond their deeds, actions performed by darkness that had taken them over, and seeing their sorrow, decided to use the Ginzuishou and gave them a new life," Pluto declared as she stood in her planetary garb.

"You have to forgive them, guys. Mamoru and I have and they had imprisoned Mamoru for months before killing him and yet, we found it in our hearts to forgive them," Usagi pleaded with her friends as she attempted to read the expressions upon their faces, but the mist obscured her view and she could feel the hatred coming off them in waves.

They are not going to forgive them. I don't understand them. Yes, they did some horrible things, but everyone deserves forgiveness no matter what they have done. People make mistakes, even me. Oh mother, how can I fix this. Usagi thought as she watched her friends. Then suddenly Ami stepped forward. Her face red and puffy from the tears she had silently been crying upon experiencing her memories. She weakly scrubbed at her face with the palms of her hands as she approached Zoicite. Zoicite looked a little concerned, as she got closer.

Then in a whisper, Ami spoke, "I am willing to give you a chance, but I cannot forgive and forget so easily. Not after all we shared and then your betrayal."

Ami stepped back, walked towards Usagi, and stood by her side as Zoicite nodded his understanding.

The others however, were outraged. "Ami, you traitor, how could you give him a chance…give any of them a chance," Makoto cried.

"Shut up, Makoto…, just shut up. You girls are acting like petty children, grow up and act your ages." With that, Pluto waved her Garnet Rod and everyone -- except for Mamoru and Usagi -- found themselves back inside their respective homes.

"What are we going to do, Setsuna? They are filled with such anger. And why did you not tell us about them sooner. I thought we could trust each other?" Usagi asked as she wrapped her arms about her stomach and shivered.

"It was imperative they remained hidden for a while, though I never expected Kunzite to come to you, Mamoru. I thought he would lie low and now they're out in the open. I will have to make sure they come to no harm. They must live in order they might seek their redemption. It is time for you to go home and be princess, for your sake and for the baby's, you will need your strength for the trials to come," Setsuna said cryptically as she waved her rod again and instantly, they were back in their apartment.

"What did she mean by trials, Mamoru…?" Usagi asked as she flopped down on the bed.

"I'm not sure, Usako, but coming from her, it must be something important we have to watch out for." Mamoru lay on the bed beside his wife and wrapped his arms around her.

.::. Later that night .::.

Bodies were everywhere. She was looking for her comrades. Looking at the horizon that called for the sun to slowly make its way towards that side of the moon and extinguish the unnatural darkness. Mina spotted a hint of blue fabric. Rushing forward, she stopped, shocked at the sight that met her eyes, gasping, she found it hard to breathe, she wanted to scream, she wanted to shout, or cry, do something, but could do neither as she fell to her knees at the side of the lifeless body before her. First thing she noticed was the deep cut that ran across the throat, she wanted to dry wretch, but she was unable to even do that, the blood had long since dried, and caked blood covered the wound and fuku. It was Sailor Mercury. She was dead as was Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter. Mars had her fuku torn, a seeping gash ran across her stomach, her hands clutched around the ornate hilt of a dagger buried in her stomach. Jupiter too, lay dead with a huge gaping chest wound, as the result of a sword having pierced her breast, her friends all dead, as were her princess and prince.

She climbed unsteadily to her feet, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. It was all too much. Walking past Mercury's body, she spotted a solitary figure in armor a short distance away. She instantly recognized the black and gold uniform with its flowing cape caught in the Lunarian breeze. Venus's face lit up as she detransformed and hope rose momentarily in her heart . She clutched her slightly protruding belly and rushed to her lover's side.

"Kunzite, I am so happy you are alive. Everyone is dead. I am the only survivor." Mina kissed her lover and took a step back. It was only then She noticed the evil look on his face she had not seen before until this moment. "What is wrong, Kunz, and why are you looking at me like that?"

Minako was getting scared and blinked rapidly, her breaths growing shorter as fear gripped her heart.

"You will soon join your comrades, princess," Kunzite said coldly as he approached her, unsheathing his sword.

"No Kunzite, you can't. Think of our baby. Please think of your little girl," Mina pleaded as she clutched her stomach protectively and felt her baby kick. Her precious little girl she had conceived with her lover who now wanted to kill her, for what reason she did not know.

But Kunzite's blade stopped half way through its deadly arc as her words reached his ears and he stared at her, a puzzled look on his face.  
"What did you say, bitch?" Kunzite moved towards Mina as she backed up.

"I was waiting to tell you after the war. I'm pregnant with your daughter," Mina whispered to her lover.

"Join me and the others then." It was not a request, but an order.

"Join you in what..." then it hit her, the look on his face and the waves of evil coming off him. He had succumbed to the evil witch Beryl and had come here to kill her and the others. "You have to fight off her influence, Kunz. You just have to, if not for me, or yourself, then do it for your daughter."

He shook his head and before she knew it, he'd moved forward, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her face violently towards his. "I knew you did not have what it takes to join me. Why did I even bother with you? Maybe you can be of some use to me one last time," He said in a maniacal tone. He pushed her forward and before she could stop him, he hit her in the stomach -- he struck his child's resting place -- Minako screamed a piercing scream of pain, fury, shock and sorrow and doubled over with the searing agony of her injuries. He grabbed her once again by the hair and lifting her as if she were weightless, thru her over his shoulder. He turned, and ignoring her crying and screams marched back towards the palace along a deathly silent corridor -- dark and lifeless in its funerary emptiness. Carrying her into her bedchamber, he thru her on the bed and started taking off his armor. She was sobbing and screaming at him to stop, clutching her stomach. He noticed the blood coming from between her legs, soaking the silvery coverlet. She was in the process of miscarrying. Once he had removed his armor, he took his pants off, then as she kicked and lashed out at his relentless onslaught, Stripping her naked. She tried to fight him off, but he punched her in the stomach once again.

Mounting her ravaged and bloody body, he leaned forward and harshly kissed her as he groped and squeezed hard at her breasts. Moving his rough hands down her body, he grabbed her thighs and wrenched them open. Positioning himself, he invaded her with great force, ramming his manhood into her bloody depths. Mina screamed out a chilling shriek as he raped her.

"How could you? I thought you loved me… you murderous, raping bastard," Minako screamed as he climaxed. To shut her up, Kunzite took a knife he knew she kept in the bedside drawer and with a fatal blow, plunged it clean through the thin bone of her temple.

.::. End of Dream .::.

"Oh my god...!" Mina shouted, waking with such a violent start, it sent Artemis jumping off her pillow.

"What's wrong, Mina, did you have a nightmare?" Artemis asked, worried about his charge.

"It was a memory of how I had died during the Silver Millennium, Artemis. That's all, and go back to sleep. I think I am going to get out and go for a walk, to clear my head."

"But it's three am in the morning, Mina."

"Hush and go back to sleep, cat. I just need to clear my head."

Mina changed out of her nightwear and dressed quickly, putting on her shoes before leaving the house for some much-needed air.

"Thank you, Setsuna. I have the address written down, bye-bye." Usagi put the phone down into its cradle and looked at the address.

"You sure about this, Usagi…?" Mamoru asked as he got his coat on.

"I think they could use a friend to talk to right now, Mamoru. Therefore, yes I am sure. Now let's go, I hope they are all there." She grabbed her purse and opened the door to walk out. She was going to go see how the Shitennou were doing.

"Hold on I am coming." Nephrite yelled at the door as he ran towards it and opened it to find a blond with a slight protruding belly upon the threshold.

"Princess, what are you doing here?" Nephrite was a little shocked when he saw her.

"I can come by and visit, can't I. Well, no matter, Mamoru won't be back for two hours. So, you could say you are kind of stuck with me, that is, unless you want me to walk out in this heat?"

Nephrite shook his head and let her inside. He motioned for her to follow him. He led her to the living room where the others were waiting.

"We have a guest, guys. So, be polite."

Jadeite was the first to look up. His face red and bruised from the previous night.

"How are you feeling, Jadeite? I hate to say this, but does your face hurt as badly as it looks?"

"No thankfully, it does not, princess. It looks worse than it is, though my broken rib does hurt considerably." Jadeite said as the other looked at her.

"I'm so sorry about that. I have never seen Rei lose her temper quite like that before."

"It's okay, he was a little drunk and should not have said what he did," Zoicite piped in and earned a dirty look from Jadeite.

"Princess, what are you doing here?" Kunzite asked from his position in one of the comfortable reclining chairs in the room, his eyes concealed behind a book he was reading.

"I came to give you guys a friendly visit and I want to invite you to a party. I don't know if you already know or not, but I am four months pregnant and next month I am having a baby shower at my mother's house. I have made it clear to Mamoru that he must show up. So, now that you guys are around, you must come to keep him company."

"Yeah sure, will do," Jadeite said sarcastically.

"Yes you will Jad. I will make it very clear to the girls that if they wish to attend, they will behave and not be the bitches they were last night."

"For our prince's sake, I will come to this party of yours. What do we bring?" Nephrite enquired as the others slowly agreed, too.

"You don't have to bring anything. The girls, mom and her friends will be bringing plenty I think. So, now that we've settled that, tell me what is going on." Usagi asked as she sat down beside Zoicite. 


	8. Chapter 8

Pink, pink everywhere with splashes of purple and rose, the room covered in a lattice of streamers, signs, posters, and balloons of various colors, these tied to various pieces of furniture. An assortment of gifts of various sizes sat on a table in the hall off the main living room. On another table, a cake with a stack of plates, cups, silverware, and drinks of various kinds waited for hungry and thirsty guests to indulge themselves. And standing in the middle of the former's living room stood a most visibly pregnant girl.

"I hope they all come, mom," Usagi said anxiously, as she eased herself into a comfortable chair.

"They will come, Usagi dear, do not worry yourself to death. It is not good for you and the baby," Ikuko reminded her daughter as she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to find four strange men standing on the threshold. "Mamoru's friends, right: Kunzite, Nephrite, Jadeite and Zoicite?" Ikuko asked as she let them in.

"Yes Mrs. Tsukino, we are," Kunzite said politely as he and the other Shitennou bowed and followed her inside -- gifts in hand.

"I told you guys not to bring anything," Usagi scolded as she smiled brightly at the four Shitennou, clutching her stomach. Ikuko noticed this gesture.

"Usagi, is something wrong with the baby?"

"No mom, it's just a little indigestion is all, nothing to worry about," Usagi assured her, as another knock at the door drew the attention of all away from the blonde headed mother to be.

This time it was the girls. They came into the room, and upon seeing the Shitennou, their demeanor changed from cheerfulness to shock and anger.

"What are they doing here?" Rei demanded as she held her present tightly in her hands, as did the others.

"Rei, stop being a bitch, they're here to keep Mamoru company, so back off."

Mamoru came out of the kitchen when he heard Usagi starting to get mad. He saw his friends and welcomed them. He showed everyone where to put his or her presents and his manner and expression demanded all behave themselves as this was Usagi's day.

"So, where is everyone else?" Ami asked as she sat down in the front room.

"In the kitchen, making the rest of the food," Usagi answered and brought her hands to her stomach once again. This time, she felt a ripple of pain shooting through her abdomen and it almost made her gasp. These pains had been continuing for the last couple of days, yet she hadn't wanted to worry anyone, or herself. But felt a little distressed, but thought she would try to see out the party before broaching the subject with Mamoru and her mother.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, are we ready to start this party?" Renee, one of Ikuko's friends asked as each came into the room with a tray filled with tasty finger foods.

"Usagi is always hungry," Mamoru jumped in, risking his skin in the face of his Usako' s wrath.

"Very funny, Mamoru... You are a riot." Everyone laughed at this comment, as the guests began picking up plates to pile with food. Everyone ate at their leisure with only a few occasional glares from Rei, Makoto, and Minako directed at the Shitennou.

When all were done, Ikuko gathered the plates and took them to the kitchen. "Do you guys want cake first, or after the presents?"

"After would be fine, mom, I don't think I have room for cake right now."

Usagi eyed her presents with a look of wonder and curiosity on her face. Ikuko laughed and started handing her the gifts. She opened the ones from her mom's friends first. Renee got her Winnie the Pooh bottles and others based on an assortment of other Disney themed characters. Tara had given her bibs, mitten, and botties. Casey gave her clothes in various sizes, along with a selection of dresses, pants, shirts and sets.

"Thank you so much. I love everything. What about you, Mamoru?" Usagi asked her husband. He nodded. Now it was time for the Shitennou.

"Here you go, Usagi," Kunzite remembered not to call her princess in front of her mother and her friends. It was a silver picture frame with the cute image of baby feet on it.

Next was Nephrite. He gave Usagi baby books based on astrology. Saying she could read them to the baby and when she was old enough, she could look at the pictures.

Jadeite and Zoicite gave Usagi a various selection of stuffed animals. Usagi offered her thanks as the girls started to hand her their present.

"I hope you like these," Ami tentatively said as she presented Usagi with a large gift bag. Usagi opened it to discover a set of bear bedding: two fitted sheets, 2 sets of bumpers, 2 headboard bumpers, and 2 comforters. Usagi smiled and turned her attention to the other girl's presents. Mina got Usagi a bottlebrush, a drying rack for her bottles, pacifiers, and onises. Rei gave her extra sleepers and blankets. Makoto had given her a nursery medical kit, diapers, baby wipes, body wash, and lotions.

"Now, from me and your father…." Ikuko picked up a number of bags off the table, handing these to Usagi, the contents included blankets, stuffed animals, a baby monitor, baby carrier, a shopping cart mat, play mat, and more bottles.

"Thank you everyone, now, I think we can cut into the ca…." Usagi gasped as she clutched at her stomach and felt something-warm flow between her legs, the flow increased as she adjusted her position on her chair. All eyes turned their eyes to Usagi as she gasped at the sight of the red stain starting to color the front of her dress.

Casey's reaction was instantaneous. She was after all, a doctor. "Call 911…, she is hemorrhaging. Get me some towels, we have to try and stop the blood flow," Casey yelled her instructions as she lifted Usagi's dress. Somebody handed her the towel as she removed Usagi's underwear, as the bleeding increased. "Calm down, Usagi, things will be okay." Casey did her best to soothe the distraught Usagi.

Soon the sound of approaching sirens in the distance brought a sense of both relief and anxiety to all, especially Usagi. Minutes later, the EMT's rushed into the room.

"She is hemorrhaging. She has lost about 2 pints of blood so far. I am trying to slow the bleeding," Casey, explained to the EMT's.

"Please stand back, ma'am."

"Dr. Casey Morgan. I am the lead ob-gyn at Tokyo General."

"Well doctor, please stand back so we can get her loaded into the bus." The EMT said, getting Usagi ready to be placed onto the gurney. They rolled her out of the room with Casey following right behind her.

"Ikuko, I am going to ride in the bus with her. You follow behind us and head straight for the emergency room. Anyone else who wants to come, follow behind," Casey raised her voice to be heard over the others.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Ami said, as she started towards her car. She turned on her heel and motioned for the guys to follow her lead. "Come on you guys, Mamoru is going to need your support. You can come with me." Ami said, waving them towards her Durango. The guys followed and climbed into her SUV and soon everyone followed the ambulance to its destination.

.::. Inside the Ambulance .::.

"Calm down, Usagi. Try not to cry. The sobbing will cause your body to move and start the bleeding off again. They are trying to stop it right now," Casey explained, attempting to calm Usagi down as she cried.

"I am scared, Casey. What… am I losing her?" Usagi sobbed as they started to give her a blood transfusion.

"Give her a sedative," Casey instructed as the EMT stared at her for a moment and was about to object when he saw the look on her face and immediately acquiesced .

Usagi sobbed for a few moments longer before gradually quieting. She started relaxing as the other EMT worked on her.

"Thank you, I was worried she was going to cry her self to death. Have you managed to control the bleeding?" Casey asked.

"It's coming along. We have almost stopped it."

"What's the ETA?"

"Two Minutes, doctor...," The driver replied.

"Make it quicker if you can, this baby is going to have to come out if we have any chance of saving it and Usagi," Casey said more to herself than the EMT's working on Usagi.

"How pregnant is she, as she doesn't look far enough along to give birth."

"She is five and a half months along, at twenty-two weeks. A baby was born at 22 week and is now 4 pounds and at home with her parents," Casey replied.

"We are here, let's get the doors opened," the EMT said as the doors were flung opened and Casey jumped out. She waited as Usagi was wheeled quickly inside the emergency wing of the maternity wing of the hospital -- Casey walking along side the gurney with her patient and the attendant . "We need to get her to the OR. As she is an emergency hemorrhage case, we're in danger of losing both her and the baby. So go get the OR prepped," she ordered the attendant of the ER, who nodded and rushed off down the corridor. About ten minutes later, Usagi was taken to the OR.

.::. Emergency room lobby .::.

"Where is Casey? I want to know what is going on with my baby," Ikuko cried as she leaned on Mamoru's arm, her head upon his shoulder. Mamoru tried to calm her nerves as well as his own.

They waited twenty more minutes when Casey finally emerged. "Mamoru, would you please come with me, Usagi is out of surgery." Mamoru was about to follow her through the doors as everyone else began asking their questions and Casey turned quickly and looked at the host of worried faces . "Sorry, but only Mamoru can see her right now, she is in recovery." Casey explained. Then she and Mamoru walked through the emergency room doors and down the hallways towards recovery. Mamoru's heart sank into his stomach as he took in the sight of his beautiful young wife's pale complexion. She looked deathly pale. The beeping of the heart monitor she was hooked up to assured him she was alive, but only barely.

"What is her condition and what about the baby?" Mamoru asked as he sat at Usagi's bedside.

"Well, as you can see we saved Usagi. The baby however is in the natal care unit. She is just hanging on by the slimmist of threads. She is breathing via a breathing apparatus. She is hooked up to four IV's. At twenty-two weeks, her chance of survival is slim to none. But a baby was recently released from the hospital weighing 4 pounds after being born at twenty-two weeks. She is home with her parents. Your daughter weighs about ten ounces."

"Why did you do a C-Section on Usagi, anyway?" Mamoru asked as he looked at Usagi's alabaster face.

"Because we would have lost them both, would you have wanted your wife to die along with your daughter?" Casey asked.

"I might lose my daughter anyway. But you're right. This was the only option. I just hope the baby survives for Usagi's sake. I would hate to think of how hard she would take this. How long will she be asleep."

"She will be out for a few more hours. We are still giving her blood transfusions. She is AB+ right?" Casey looked at the unconscious young girl.

"Yes she is," Mamoru, answered as he looked towards the door as the doctor who did the surgery came in.

"I assume Dr. Morgan already told you everything." At Mamoru's nod, the surgeon continued, "Well then, you know the chance of your daughter living is thirty percent." The doctor said clinically.

"Yes, I realize this. When can I see my daughter?" Mamoru questioned the doctor as his heart thumped rapidly in his chest.

"Right now if you want…."

"Thank you, now would you mind telling her family the situation. I don't think I could bring myself to tell them at the moment." Mamoru, aware of where the needle natal care unit was located, stood up to go and visit his little girl.

"Of course, Mr. Chiba, I will tell them right now. Also, we need the name of your daughter." The doctor said as both men left the ward, only Casey remained to monitor Usagi and Mamoru offered their friend a smile of thanks and she returned the smile and nodded as she checked Usagi's charts.

"When Usagi regains consciousness you will have the name of the baby, not before," he said as they stepped into the waiting room.

"Yes of course." 


	9. Chapter 9

"The baby's chance of survival is slim to none. I don't expect her to live much beyond this week." The doctor appraised the girls and Shitennou of the situation concerning Usagi's baby.

"Maybe we should get a second opinion then, doctor," Rei stated, her voice choked with tears, her eyes red with crying.

"The baby has four IV's and is breathing with the help of a respirator, I doubt a second opinion will be much more optimistic, miss…"

"Hino doctor…."

"Yes, Miss Hino, well, I must go back and check on your friend."

The doctor turned on his heel, and without another word walked thru the double doors, he had come thru seemingly scant minutes ago with the devastating news about Usagi and her little girl.

"What can we do for her…, maybe she can use the crystal?" Mina sobbed as she thought about that poor baby.

"She can't use it in that capacity, Mina." A caring voice came from behind the gang. Setsuna was there with Hotaru holding some flowers in her arms.

"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you," Rei accused as she stood before the guardian of time.

Setsuna, for her part, could only look at the distraught young girl with compassion in her dark-red eyes. "It would have been irresponsible of me to reveal that information and potentially deadly. The future cannot be revealed so carelessly. The same goes for Usagi using her crystal to save her child. It would be grossly irresponsible. If the baby is anything like her mother, then she will live. Usagi is a fighter, and I have a feeling the baby shares that quality," Setsuna calmly explained to everyone as all focused intently on the woman standing before them, their burning eyes seeming to bore into her.

"She's right. There is nothing else that can be done except support Usagi through this difficult time while her baby struggles to survive," Ami spoke up as everyone's eyes turned towards her. Zoicite, at that moment, put his arm around her shoulders, the warmth seeping into Ami's body, lending her strength and lifting her spirits a little. In the last month, both had come to an understanding.

"If this little one is anything like her mother -- as Setsuna has said, then I have no doubts that the baby will be healthy and live for a long time," Kunzite added, speaking for the first time since leaving the baby shower.

"I wonder when we can go see Usagi," Makoto asked also adding her voice as she looked around for a nurse, or someone to tell them they could visit their best friend.

"Let me go find a nurse or her doctor," Rei stated solemnly as she walked off to look for someone. She came back a few minutes late with a sad look on her face.

"We are going to have to wait a while longer. She is still out from the drugs they gave her. They said it was also wise to let her have some time to adjust to the fact her baby may well die."

"The baby won't die," Hotaru announced to everyone as all eyes turned to look at her. Setsuna made a shushing sound at Hotaru and looked at everyone helplessly.

"How can you be sure, Hotaru?" Nephrite asked as he bent down to her level.

"I just know, Nephrite, I just do." Hotaru answered confidently.

So sure of herself, she wanted to continue, but was prevented by Setsuna's stern admonition. "That's enough, Hotaru. Everyone is upset as it is. I think it time we go. Kunzite, would you give these to the princess for us." She handed the flowers to Kunzite, took Hotaru's hand, and walked away from the group. In the hallway, she stopped and knelt down meeting Hotaru's eyes.

"Honey, the future is not precise. There is still a chance the future could change, so, that glimpse you got of the baby growing up strong and healthy may not turn out to be true. Please, don't blurt out information like that again," Setsuna, told Hotaru firmly as the young girl nodded her compliance.

"Yes mama." The little girl looked at her adoptive mother and pulled at her hand. "Let's go get ice cream." Setsuna laughed and let the little girl pull her towards the elevators.

Tiny cries were heard amongst the buzz of hallway noise as he looked into the window. Ten babies were inside the white sterile room. A set of parents dressed in equally sterile hospital gowns as the mother sat in a chair and put her arm thru one of the holes in the incubator and grasped her ill son's tiny two-week-old fingers. He cried in response to his mothers touch. The mother was young with an older looking man standing over her looking at his son as the tiny infant wailed with his tiny little lungs. Hearing her son cry, the mother started to cry as well. The man put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to help her through her pain at having to watch her son in his weakened state.

A nurse approached Mamoru from behind and gently placed a supportive and compassionate hand on his shoulder. He turned sharply. "It's sad, I know, Mr. Chiba. You know you can go in there and see your daughter," the nurse said as she looked past Mamoru towards the back of the room where a tiny being slept within a heated incubator, isolated away from all the other babies.

"I can't. If I do…."

"If you do, you will realize this is really happening and it will hurt all over again. Well, Mr. Chiba, this is real and it is happening. You need to go in there and prove to your little angel that she is not alone as she seems to be," the nurse scolded Mamoru as she continued to look at baby Chiba.

"I…I can't not right now. What news of my wife?" Mamoru asked, tearing his eyes away from the nurse and looked at the parents of that sick little boy.

"She is awake and wanting to see her baby. But since she just had surgery, she can't get up and come here. She has not been told yet about her baby. I think she needs you there when she is told her baby might die and that there is a chance she might not be able to have kids again."

Mamoru's head snapped around towards the nurse at her last sentence. "What did you say about having children again?" his voice had a dangerous edge to it.

"She might not be able to have children again Mr. Chiba. Her hemorrhage was serious and when the baby was born, there was some damage."

Mamoru shook his head. "That can't be. She is a normal healthy girl." Mamoru was in denial.

"Something must have happened, because there was some unexpected damage to her reproductive organs. So if you know what it is, you might want to tell the doctor."

"There is nothing I can think of that might offer any explanation for the damage to her reproductive organs." Except for being Sailor Moon, Mamoru thought.

"Well I came to get you, because your wife is scared." The nurse said simply as she turned to leave Mamoru alone. He turned away and looked through the window again at his little girl.

After a time, he moved away from the glass wall and opened the door that led out of the neo natal care unit.

"Where is Mamoru?" Usagi screamed at her doctor as she cried. Her doctor decided not to wait any longer and told her about her baby. Mamoru came bursting into the room after hearing her scream down the hallway.

"What did you say to her?" Mamoru demanded as he moved quickly to Usagi's bedside and engulfed his wife in his arms as she cried.

"I waited for you, but I didn't think you were coming."

"Then tell your nurse not to talk so much when she is sent to bring people." Mamoru shot back as he tried to comfort his wife.

"Like I said, I waited for you. I do have other patients to attend to, you know. I have informed her of the situation concerning the fact she may be unable to have any more children due to reproductive damage. Mainly her tubes have suffered the most scarring. I find it amazing that she conceived at all."

"You could have waited a little longer to tell her that, doctor." Mamoru was less than pleased.

"What do you plan on naming the baby?" The doctor asked the grieving couple, trying to steer the conversation away from causing any further distress.

Usagi looked up with bloodshot eyes. "Athena Hope, but we will call her Hope," Usagi replied in almost a whisper as she put her head back onto Mamoru's shoulder secure in his arms.

"Yes thank you, Mrs. Chiba. Also, you are going to be moved to a private room very soon and then your friends can visit you." with this, the doctor scurried hurriedly out of the ward leaving the couple to themselves.

"Do you think all those years of battle made it so I will never conceive again."

"He did not say never, just might be a chance. I would not worry about it love. We still have Chibi Usa to look forward to As well as our little Hope right now. She will live and we will get to enjoy her."

"What went wrong, why did I hemorrhage, and why did this happen to our little girl?" Usagi fired off her questions in-between heartbreaking sobs.

"I don't know what went wrong, Usagi. But things will be all right." Mamoru looked up noticing a nurse had come in.

"It is time to move her, so dear, lay down so we can get you moved. You sir can bring your friends and meet us up on the maternity ward in room 238." Mamoru nodded as he left the room. He moved down the hallway thinking about everything.

"What is taking them so long?" Rei huffed as she paced around the waiting room.

"Chill out -- fire brand…," Jadeite spat out, as he was slightly irritated by her pacing.

"Shut up, moron," Rei hissed at her former lover.

"Well, if you were not such a …."

"Enough…, you two, they're moving Usagi to the maternity ward, so if you want to see her, lets go then," Mamoru told them and all gathered their things and followed quickly on his heel. 


	10. Chapter 10

"When can I see my daughter?" a blurry bloodshot-eyed Usagi asked the nurse pushing her gurney through the maternity ward into Usagi's private ward.

"You have to wait until you recover, dear. It's going to be at least three days before you can do anything more than use the restroom."

The nurse looked down at her charge and saw fresh tears flowing down Usagi's face. She felt sorry for the young girl, unable to see her baby that most staff believed wouldn't last much longer, and this she thought would only delay the pain this girl would feel.

"Why three days…?" Usagi cried as they settled her gurney against the wall of her private room and hooked her up to her machines.

"You have to let the incision from your c-section heal properly, or it will get infected." The nurse patted the distraught girl's arm as she checked the monitors and left.

Soon thereafter, the nurse met Mamoru and the others in the corridor. "You might want to go in alone, sir. I've only just told her she could not see your daughter for at least three days because of her surgery." Mamoru nodded to the kind woman and held up his hand and the others stopped.

"Be right back," he said as he entered Usagi's private ward. Indeed, she was still crying. He went over to his distraught wife and cuddled her. "It will be okay, Usako. You will be able to see her in three days… I promise you," Mamoru crooned to her as her sobs subsided into hiccups.

"What if she is dead in three days?" Usagi asked as she wiped her face on Mamoru's shirt.

"She won't be," he told her with as much assurance as he could muster.

"How can you be sure? She was born at 22 weeks," Usagi snapped back, getting mad at him for trying to placate her with empty promises.

"You know, she looks like you except for having black hair, not even chaos could kill you; she is definitely her mother's daughter. So being born premature won't kill her. It will only make her stronger," Mamoru tried to explain his reasoning to her despite the fact he found himself only half believing his words. This calmed Usagi down for the moment at least. "There are some very worried people waiting to see you." Mamoru caressed her cheek as he looked into her azure-blue eyes.

"I look a mess, I can't…," Usagi started.

"They are our friends, you need some friendly faces around you right now. They don't care about how you look, they only care about you and how you are doing." Mamoru kissed her forehead, and then gently pulled away and went to the door, and opened it quietly, poking his head through and called for everyone to come in.

Slowly, everyone filed in, separating into groups as there was still a rift between them. "How are you doing, Usa-chan?" Minako tentatively asked as Rei stepped into the room.

"What kind of question is that, Minako? Of course, she is not all right. Look at her for a minute, her face is red and puffy, her eyes are blood shot, she has thirty stitches in her stomach and her daughter will probably not make it through the week. So what kind of stupid question is that?" Rei berated Minako as Usagi started crying again.

Jadeite, at these insensitive words from Rei stepped up, grabbed Rei by the arm, and forcefully pulled her from the room into the waiting room. "What kind of insensitive bitch are you, Rei. How could you just say what you said to Minako about Usagi in front of Usagi? She needs support and what you said was as far from support I have ever heard in my life. So I suggest until you learn how to be more compassionate me and the guys will make sure you stay as far away from Usagi as possible."

Rei attempted to slap Jadeite, but he caught her hand firmly increasing the pressure making tears come to her eyes. "You got lucky once, fire brand, but you ever try to hit me again, and despite how much I love you I will hurt you." Jadeite released her hand and walked back towards Usagi's room it find she had finally stopped crying.

"Where's Rei?" Usagi asked as she repositioned herself in the bed.

"She won't be returning until she can be more civil, Usa-chan. So don't worry about her for now. Have you named the baby yet?" Jadeite asked rejoining the others.

"Athena Hope. We are going to nickname her, Thea," Mamoru spoke up.

"Ah, a young goddess of war, with a name like that, she will definitely survive," Nephrite quipped as everyone laughed, even Usagi.

"I was not thinking about Athena the goddess when I named her, Neph, not at all. I just thought it was a pretty name," Usagi explained as she yawned.

"Okay guys, I think it time for this young mother to get some sleep," a nurse said as she came into the ward smiling warmly at all Usagi's friends and approached Usagi and Mamoru and checked her vitals as Usagi yawned and smiled back.

"Bye you two, and start feeling better soon, Usagi…."

The gang all said their goodbyes, and left the young couple.

Three days later

"My poor baby, how fragile you look. Can I touch her?" Usagi asked the nurse.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but you can't. She might get sick. Only nurses and doctors with gloves on can handle her. She is susceptible to infection and other kinds of illnesses right now. It is time for her to be checked so you are going to have to leave and come back tomorrow. You are getting released today as it is."

The nurse pushed Usagi aside gently as she put her gloves on and began to examine Thea. Usagi felt tears come to her eyes as she left the neo natal care unit where her daughter was housed.

"I will be back tomorrow then," Usagi told the nurse as she left and went back to her room where Mamoru was waiting for her discharge papers.

The moment she entered the ward, she flew into Mamoru's arms crying. "They would not let me touch my own daughter Mamo-chan," she cried into his shoulder as he made soft noises to help comfort her.

"It will be all right, Usako. You will be able to touch her soon."

A nurse cleared her throat as she walked into the room, "Good, you are already dressed. Here are your discharge papers. You are to go back to your regular doctor in two weeks to have those stitches removed and get a physical check up." The woman handed Usagi her papers.

Mamoru picked up Usagi's suitcase and led her out of the room. They made their way slowly down to the car park garage where a surprise waited for Usagi. She saw a red Cavalier parked next to Mamoru's red sports car. The Cavalier had a bow tied around it.

"What is with the car and the bow, Mamoru?" Usagi looked from the car to her husband.

"Do you feel like driving?" he asked, fishing out two sets of keys.

"What do you mean, do I feel like driving?" She was puzzled as she looked at the second set of keys.

"It's from your parents. It is an early seventeenth birthday present. They had planned to give it to you when Thea was expected to be born, but since she is a prem baby, they've given it to you now."

Normally Usagi would have been jumping up and down for joy at a moment like this. Instead, she cried, cried for herself and her baby girl. "Well, since it is here I guess I can drive it home." She wiped the tears from her eyes, took the proffered keys from Mamoru, and opened the door. It had everything she ever wanted. A GPS, CD player, cup holders, leather seats. She looked in the back and behind the driver's seat was her car seat with a pad under it to protect the leather underneath. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes as she took all this in, brushing her teardrops away and got into the car and sank into the comfortable soft leather.

"You need to stop crying you sissy, so life through you a tough curveball, just believe and everything will be all right. Your baby will be fine in the long run." Usagi thought as she found the right key, slid it into the ignition, and started up her new car. She looked over at Mamoru and waved. He gave her a thumbs up sign and gunned the ignition of his own car. Usagi followed him as he exited the car park.

After climbing out of the driver's seat and closing the door to her new car, Mamoru pulled her suitcase out of his front seat and they climbed the stairs leading to the lobby and the waiting elevator.

Upon entering their home, Usagi was greeted by her parents.

"Mom… dad, what are you guys doing here?" Usagi asked, surprised and pleased to see them.

"Did you like your new car, Usagi?" Kenji asked his daughter as he walked up to hug her.

At first, he had been set dead against her getting married to a much older boy, but he now knew Mamoru and understood how his daughter had come to love him. He was pleased that his daughter had found her soul mate.

"I love it dad. I wish it had been pink though," Usagi laughed with her parents for the first time since she had hemorrhaged and almost lost her little girl.

"Red was the only color they had on the lot that was an automatic sweetie, but I am glad you like it. Come, we have something to show you," Ikuko told her excitedly as she guided her daughter to where the baby's room. Once they turned the corner, Usagi saw they had set up the nursery. It looked exactly as she had pictured it. They had even repainted the room pink and white to go with the décor. The furniture's red wood stain looked warm against the pinks and whites. Everything was set up as if they were bringing Thea home that day. Usagi felt her eyes moisten again, for what seemed the fiftieth time. She walked over to her parents and hugged them with all the strength she had left as they hugged her back with equal affection.

"Thank you so much. How I wish Thea was here to be sleeping in this lovely nursery," Usagi cried into her father's shoulder. They comforted her until she calmed down.

Mamoru chose that moment to speak up, "I think she needs to get some rest for now. Maybe in a week we can go out for dinner?" Mamoru suggested.

"I think that would be wonderful. Next Saturday at our house, say six pm?" Kenji suggested as he watched his wife lead Usagi to her bed and help her lye down.

"Great… We will see you then, sir," Mamoru replied with a bow as Usagi's parents left.

A sudden knock at the door roused Mamoru from his studies for an upcoming exam due in two days. He got up to answer the door as Usagi came out from the kitchen where she was making some tea for herself. Mamoru opened the door to find Minako on the threshold.

"Come in Minako, it's good to see you, Usagi will only be a moment, take a seat and make yourself at home…" Minako smiled and nodded her thanks as he stepped aside to allow her to enter .

She rushed to her friend and hugged her, taking her hands in her own. "Can we talk in private? I have something important to ask you."

Usagi looked to Mamoru and he sighed. "I need to go to the library anyway, so I will see you two later." He collected his books, kissed Usagi on the cheek and left.

"What's so important Mamoru can't stick around. Do you want some tea?" Minako nodded her thanks and Usagi prepared them some tea.

Sipping her tea, Minako finally got the nerve to say what she had on her mind. "It's about Kunzite. That's why I did not want Mamoru around, because he might say something to him."

"What about him then?" Usagi questioned, sipping her tea, eyeing her best friend thoughtfully.

"Is it possible to love someone even after they took away your most precious gift?" Minako set her cup down and looked straight into Usagi's eyes. "He killed our child in the past. I was three months pregnant and starting to show when the battle started. I saw him and thought he was there to help me. I told him about our baby. He asked me to join him and I would not. He hit me in the stomach making me miscarry and then raped me. I keep having these dreams about us being in love and making love. I see him out on walks at night. I think I still love him, but don't understand how that is possible."

"Oh Minako, love is not rational, not at all. When I think back to when Mamoru was possessed and worked for Beryl, I wanted to cry, because he tried to kill me so many times. It broke my heart to think of him when he was working for her. But I still loved him. I loved him enough to watch him die again in front of my eyes and then I tried to save him. What you and Kunzite had was powerful. I could tell by just looking into your eyes, and still can. I know he loves you as well. What he did when possessed is not his fault. Yes, it hurts to think of what you lost. But if you love him, there is nothing wrong with it."

"But I should hate him for killing our baby and raping me."

"Hate is such a strong emotion. It's not healthy. Answer this, do you still want him?" Usagi asked, looking into the other woman's eyes.

Mina hesitated only for a second, and Usagi smiled. "I take that as a yes."

"I can't help it. These blasted dreams keep making me remember and want him so bad, but it can never be. He would never do that with me again," Mina, sighed.

"Well then, you have to make him see your point of view. He still loves you and I bet if you corner him, you can make him do anything with and for you."

Minako's eyes lit up and she stood up. "Thanks Usa-chan, you just gave me a great idea. I think I will go now. Do you have his address with you?"

Usagi smiled and wrote down the address, gave it to Minako and she left. I hope she knows what she is doing. Usagi thought as she retrieved her keys from their place on the desk. It was time for her daily visit with Thea.

2035 North Maple Street

Minako looked at the house number and the paper again, deciding she had the right place. She walked up to the door and tucked her hair behind her ears, licking her lips. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. She waited and gathered her nerve as the door slowly opened. Kunzite looked out and caught his breath. His love was standing before him.

"Can I come in, Kunzite?" she asked as she stood before him looking like a Goddess. He nodded and opened the door wider to allow her access to the house. She walked in and took her coat off.

"Is anyone else home with you? I only saw one car," she asked as she looked around.

"No …just me. The guys went to Kyoto for the weekend. They won't be back till tomorrow night." Mina smiled as she walked up to Kunzite, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips. That took Kunzite by surprise as he pulled away. "Mina, no we can't," he shook his head.

"You don't think I know that, but I can't stop. I want you. I keep having these dreams about us."

"The baby… no, I can't…" Kunzite started to turn away.

"Don't you dare walk away from me, Guardian," she said, speaking her name for him. It made him stop dead in his tracks.

"We can't, not after everything I have done to you."

"Love is not rational, a wise person said to me, and I still love you, do not deny me." She closed the gap and kissed him again. This time, he gave in and kissed her back, knowing he could no longer deny her. She pulled away. "I need comfort and closure from these dreams. Please love me, even if it is for one night."

He looked deeply into her eyes and knew she meant what she said. He swept her up into his arms and carried her off to his bedroom. He shut the door with his foot and gave her what she wanted all night long.


	11. Chapter 11

In the darkness, two bodies' lay intertwined, the smell of sex lay heavily in the air as the lovers slept. Unbeknownst to the outside world, free of any interference, the lovers dreamt their passionate dreams of the past, all pain and heartache seemingly forgotten at this peaceful juncture.

One body stirred as he emerged from his blissful dream to find intimate contact with another warm body, safely spooned within the security of his large male form. Opening heavy lids, a pair of gray eyes penetrated the darkness, as he gazed upon his beloved.

Through the cloudiness of his unfocused eyes, heavy with sleep, he observed the dim sheen of blond hair against the backdrop of the velvet dark. Blinking to help focus his eyes, the man continued to look down at his sleeping lover's form, wishing she would wake. As he watched her, he realized that his dreams had finally come true. She was one with him again. She was the redemption Neo Queen Serenity spoke of when she brought him and the others back from the dead. However, he knew their must be more than simply making love to his wondrous love in order to achieve true redemption.

True redemption… he thought, asking himself about the nature of that redemption, could there possibly be more to this than his Minako.

I have to talk to Setsuna again. He thought as he felt the subtle movement against his body. He looked down and sure enough, a golden head started to move. Leaning over, he kissed his lover's golden head as she rolled onto her back, her light-blue eyes fluttering open as she stared up at him with a look he never thought he would see again. The look of total love and happiness coming from the woman he thought he would never hold again in his arms.

"So this was not a dream after all," she said in a low soft tone as she inclined her head and kissed her lover softly on the lips.

"No, my love it is not. I…" he began as the door to his room flew open and the lights came on.

"Hey Kunzite… we are back…" Nephrite started to say then realized what was going on. "Oh my god," he yelled as he slammed the door to Kunzite's bedroom shut and rushed down the hallway. Soon, voices moved quickly back towards the bedroom and the door flew open once again as Jadeite and his fellow Shitennou standing there, aghast, showing scant regard for the couple's privacy as they wondered if Nephrite had lost his mind.

Then it was Kunzite yelling at Jadeite and Zoicite, "Get the hell out of here, you morons!"

Minako was completely humiliated and had buried herself under the covers to keep anyone else from seeing her. Slowly lifting the coverlet , Kunzite chanced a peak at Minako, and had to chuckle. Here she was, tucked into the fetal position and blushing profusely, that much He could see.

"Don't laugh, it's not funny. Do they always burst into your room like that and what are they doing home so soon?" she squeaked as she removed herself from the coverlets headfirst.

"I think its cute, peaches."

Minako groaned upon hearing that nickname. "I thought we agreed you would never call me peaches again."

Kunzite laughed as he cuddled her, bringing her closer to him. "Why don't we go shower, so we can see why those bakas came back early," he suggested as he started getting out of bed. She soon followed him and together they had a shower.

"What are you baka's doing back so soon?" Kunzite shouted as he came stomping down the hallway into the kitchen where the others were seated.

"Have you forgotten how to read a clock, man. It's ten at night, Sunday evening. And finally, while you two were busy, shall we say, loosening up-." Jadeite never saw the fist that knocked him out of his chair.

"You show a little more respect for her, or I will put you in hospital."

"Glad to know you have not changed at all," Jadeite wheezed through his bloody nose.

Mina came around the corner, saw Jed's face, and began to scold Kunzite. "Whatever he said that's no reason to punch him like that… Act like the men you are supposed to be and not like schoolboys. What time is it? I thought you guys weren't due back till tomorrow?" Minako looked about the kitchen walls for a clock.

"It is tomorrow… Minako, it's ten at night, Sunday."

A look of surprise and sheer horror was etched upon her face at Zoicite's words. "Damn, my parents are going to kill me. I have to go." She reached up and kissed Kunzite and grabbed her keys and left.

"That was a fast exit," Zoicite commented, to which the guys all nodded as they started to talk amongst themselves.

"Minako, where were you last night?" she heard her father say as she stepped through the door. Her parents were sitting in the living room waiting for her. She gulped as she looked at their facial expressions, this was going to be bad.

"Wherever it was, you obviously showered for you're in the clothes you wore yesterday," Her mother said with an accusatory glower.

"Answer me now, Minako," her father demanded.

"I was out with a friend," she said, defiantly.

"We called all your friends and you weren't with any of them. So who were you out with," Her father demanded, starting to get angrier.

"You don't know this friend and you never will," Mina spat back and watched as her father stood up and strode towards her. He grabbed her and started pulling her toward her room.

"You won't will you? Well, you will never see this "Friend" again because from here on out, the only time you will leave your room will be to take care of your business, shower, eat and go to school. I am taking your car away and everything else. You will come home directly after school." Her father opened her door, shoved her into her room, and slammed the door behind her.

A month later

"Argh, I wish this would stop," Minako muttered as she brought her head up out of the toilet and wiped her mouth. Usagi was standing outside the stall waiting on Minako to get out.

"Maybe you should go to the doctor. A stomach virus is making its way through the city," Usagi offered as she watched her best friend wash her mouth out over the sink.

"I am going today during my free period. I wish my parents would lighten up. I have not seen Kunzite for over a month now." Minako started crying and Usagi comforted her.

"Now-now Mina it will be all right, he misses you as well. The guys say he has been a bear since you left that night." Usagi patted her friend's head as the tears subsided.

"Come, let's get some lunch, something lighter for you I suggest. Your free period is next, right?"

Minako shook her head. "How is Thea, by the way?" Minako asked.

"She is still hooked up to all those horrible machines, but she is hanging on for dear life. The doctor can't fathom why she is still alive." Usagi felt a tear roll down her cheek as she thought about her almost two-month-old infant.

"She will pull through, Usa-chan, I promise you that."

The girls walked down the hallway leading back to the lunchroom where their friends were waiting for them.

"You okay, Mina?" Lita asked as she noted her friend's pale face.

"I will be soon… I am going to the doctor next period."

Minako sat down and looked at her lunch, suddenly feeling queasy again. She pushed it aside and started chatting with the girls. Soon it was time to leave. Minako picked up her purse and checked its contents to make sure she had the right amount of change for the bus.

"Well Minako, it looks like you have the bug that is going around. I will however, check your blood sample. How long has it been since you had your period?" The doctor looked over her chart, noting she was irregular.

"I would say, three months ago. But that is nothing unusual for me to skip three to four months at a time." She wasn't worried about the periods in the slightest.

"Okay, we should have the results of your blood test in a couple of hours. I will give you a call when I check them over," the doctor told her as he turned to leave.

"Okay, thank you, Dr. Herman."

Mina felt sick once more and tried to sound cheery. She still had 3 hours worth of school left and if she hurried, she could make it to her math class before the bell rang.

"Well then, what did the doctor say?" Ami asked Minako before class started.

"He checked me over and took some blood. He said it was probably that bug going around. But I am waiting for him to call me to give me the results of the blood test." Minako sat down at her desk as the teacher walked into the room and started the boring math portion of her school day.

A couple of hours later, the doctor reviewing Minako's blood work decided her parents should be informed of the results. So he dialed the work number her parents had given the clinic when they filled out the paperwork to register their daughter as a patient.

"Hello?"

"Yes, is this Mr. Aino?" Dr. Herman asked, to make sure he had the right person.

"Yes this is he. Who may I ask is calling?"

"This is Dr. Herman. Your daughter Minako's doctor."

"Dr. Herman, when exactly did my daughter come to see you, she has not been allowed out of the house for weeks now." He was puzzled about this, because he would have known if she had left the house to see the doctor.

"She visited my rooms during her free period earlier today, Sir. Despite that, I have some news you may want to hear. I know your daughter has been irregular with her menses, so she would not have noticed, but Sir. Your daughter is pregnant." The doctor waited for the denial to come and sure enough, he was not disappointed.

"Come again. She can't be pregnant. She has not been out of the house for a month except to go to school."

"Well, she is a month pregnant, Sir. I would like for you to discuss her options with her and get back to me. I will be happy to perform the procedure." Dr. Herman waited for a few moments to see if Minako's father was listening.

"Let's make the appointment now for the procedure. She will not be keeping this baby." Minako's father was seething as he made the appointment to have his daughter's child 'taken care of.'

"Everyone, I am home," Minako shouted as she entered the house. She heard her parents call her into the living room. Her parents looked every bit as mad as they had that last night she spent with Kunzite.

"I am very disappointed in you, young lady," her father started.

Then her mother broke in, "How could you, Minako…how could you?" her mother wept as she sat on the couch.

"What are you guys talking about, I have done nothing wrong…"

Minako was very confused. Her father walked towards her and slapped her. "You lying slut. Your doctor called today and told me you were in to see him. He called me to discuss your blood tests. You are pregnant," her father growled, furious at the thought.

"That's not possible… Oh my god," Minako was shocked, yet happy at the same time.

"Tomorrow, we are going to the hospital where this will be taken care of," her father said as he went to comfort his wife.

Minako understood the full implications of that statement. "No, I am not going to the hospital with you to "take care" of this problem," Minako retorted as she stood her ground. She would not lose another baby.

"Yes you will young lady, you are only sixteen," her father shouted.

"No I won't," she shouted back. Her father rose and it looked as if he might slap her again. She put her hands up to protect herself.

"You are no daughter of mine. You are just a worthless slut. We are going out to dinner. You had better be gone when we get back."

Her parents soon stormed out of the house and left Minako in tears. She ran to her room and pulled a suitcase out. Artemis padded into her room while she was shoving things into the suitcase.

"Where are you going to go, Mina?" He asked as he jumped onto the bed.

"To Kunzite, if that won't work, then I will go to Usagi and Mamoru." She was happy, yet distraught. She finally finished packing and went to look for her extra set of keys she kept hidden under a loose floorboard in her room. Getting them out, she quickly left the house and headed for the garage.

She got into her car and started the engine, letting Artemis jump in and settle on the back seat . She hoped Kunzite would give her a place to stay until she could figure things out.

"You may see her now," the nurse having become a familiar sight to Usagi announced as she moved behind her desk. Usagi nodded her thanks and let herself into the neo natal care unit. She walked to the back of the ward where Thea lay.

Instead of being confined within an enclosed incubator as she was before, she was in an open one now, allowing Usagi to touch her child. Reaching down, she stroked the soft skin of Thea's arm. The baby opened her crystal-blue eyes to look at her mother. Thea had yet to smile, but the fact she recognized her mother made her heart swell.

Sitting down, Usagi leaned over the crib and watched her baby. Tears started to trickle down her face. She wished she could hold her baby, and Thea started crying as well. Before Usagi knew it, a bright flash engulfed both herself and Thea as the hot white light enveloped mother and daughter. Usagi could feel the power of her crystal and that of another crystal. Slowly, the light faded and Thea's monitors and machines started to go haywire. The nurses and doctor came rushing into the ward and pushed Usagi aside.

"What did you do to your own child, get out of here so we can save her," the doctor ordered in a panic.

Usagi started to cry, not understanding what was going on with her baby.

Minako pulled up in front of the house and noticed all the cars parked out front. Oh great… she thought. They all had to be here to hear this! She turned off the ignition and got out. Artemis followed in her wake. She climbed the steps leading to the veranda, approached the front door, and knocked. It was Nephrite who answered the door.

"Can I please talk to Kunzite?" She was nervous, not knowing how he would react when she told him the news.

"Sure, come in and I will go get him." Nephrite let her inside and turned to get Kunzite and A few moments later, he emerged and engulfed Minako in a huge hug.

"Be careful with me please. Can we talk somewhere in private?" she asked as he nodded and led her back to his room. They entered his room and he looked at her.

"I don't know how to tell you this…"

"Tell me what?" Kunzite asked, fearing the worse.

"I'm pregnant, and since I won't kill it, my parents through me out of the house and disowned me. I have nowhere to go. Can I stay with you till I figure something out?" Minako gasped in a single breath.

Usagi called Mamoru after the doctor shoved her out of the ward. She was still crying when the doctor came out holding something.

"Is this yours? We found it in her crib." The doctor held up an iridescent crystal.

Usagi gasped. That had to be the strange power she felt. "Yes, it's an old family heirloom. I must have dropped it in her crib by mistake. Could I please have it back." The doctor smiled and dropped the crystal into her outstretched hands. The doctor looked at them.

"I have some news on your daughter," he began when Usagi cut in.

"What is wrong with her?" Usagi started to cry once again.

"Well she is…"


End file.
